


Always You | Miraculous Ladybug Marichat

by AStrawberryBlonde



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Balcony Scene, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25423627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AStrawberryBlonde/pseuds/AStrawberryBlonde
Summary: Marinette has just become the new Guardian of the Miraculous, and she's struggling with all the problems she has to face. She's dating Luka now, too, and it's wonderful, but her thoughts keep drifting back to her nightly conversations with Chat Noir. Is it possible for her to be in love with two people at once? Does Chat Noir want to be more than friends?This takes place after the end of Season Three, when Marinette/Ladybug is the Guardian and she's dating Luka while Adrien is dating Kagami.Anyways since we won't get season four until 2021 and I'm heartbroken, I figured I'd give my own take on where the show should go.Update: This is sorta on hiatus because school is kicking my ass, BUT I promise to update eventually when I have more time. Comments always give me more motivation to update faster :)
Relationships: Adrinette - Relationship, Ladrien - Relationship, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Lukanette - Relationship, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Chat Noir, ladynoir, marichat - Relationship, marinette/chat noir - Relationship
Comments: 21
Kudos: 44





	1. Guardian

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dyingalonewouldhavesucked](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyingalonewouldhavesucked/gifts).



Author's Note: Hi! I've never written anything Miraculous-related before, so please forgive any mistakes or OoC moments. I'm trying to mostly build off of canon, but if I have an idea that's not in the show, I'll use it anyway. Also the MariChat will be pretty slow-burn. Enjoy :) 

This chapter takes place the day before the story really starts, so it's in past tense, while the rest of the book will be present.

Marinette strolled along the Seine, smiling slightly as Luka took her hand. The Paris sunshine warmed her as she walked. 

Luka ate his ice cream in contented silence, simply happy that Marinette was happy. 

While Marinette licked her ice cream cone, she though back on the events of the previous day. Papillon had discovered the identities of every Miraculous holder except herself and Chat Noir. There was no way she could let her friends use the jewels anymore. It would put them in too much danger. Now that she was the Guardian, she had other things to plan too- for one, a way to get around losing her memory if she ever moved on. 

Luka picked up his guitar from its place next to his bike. "Marinette, I finished your song," he said. "Do you want to hear it?"

She smiled up at him and sat down on a bench. "Of course."

Luka plucked a few strings, tuned them a little, and began strumming. Marinette closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful melody of passion and strength. It somehow seemed to tell her story, but not just the story of her as Marinette, but all of her, Ladybug included. He had captured every aspect of her character in one melody, and she couldn't help but marvel at his combination of natural talent and cultivated skill. 

When he strummed the last chord, she stood and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I've never met someone as talented as you." She smiled shyly before walking away. He stood by his bicycle for several minutes, blushing a little and remembering the feeling of her lips against his cheek. 

Marinette walked back to her house alone. Her parents would be working in the patisserie for the rest of the day, so she had some time to herself. Her first thought was to finish a new Chat Noir and Ladybug collection of street wear that she was designing, so she raced upstairs to get out her sewing kit. Tikki flew out from Marinette's bag in a huff. "You have homework! You can't work on this yet, Marinette, you need to finish your schoolwork first."

Marinette sighed. "You're right, Tikki." With an exaggerated groan, she rolled her chair over to the shelf and stood on it to get her backpack down. Ms. Bustier had assigned more than usual, as if she needed more work right now. She barely managed to save Paris with Chat Noir the day before, and now she was expected to complete a whole chapter's worth of history reading? Not fair, she thought, opening her textbook.

A single photo floated down from the page. Adrien Agreste's smiling face stared up at her as she leaned over to pick up the photo. His green eyes seemed especially beautiful in that setting, right next to the Eiffel Tower with his friends on a field trip. She folded the photo up carefully and tucked it away. No time for daydreaming. Besides, she was with Luka now. She'd always love Adrien, but for right now, that love was only for a friend.

Marinette woke up a few hours later, her cheek smushed against her textbook. She'd fallen asleep while reading. It was almost eight o'clock; she needed to finish the rest of her homework. She breezed through her math and literature, finally closing her books with a satisfying whomp. Stretching, she stood and pulled out her sketchbook. Since Tikki was happily munching on some cookies in the corner, she climbed the ladder to her balcony alone.

A breeze blew by, gently lifting Marinette's pigtails from her shoulders. She settled into a chair and pulled out her sketchpad, eagerly setting to work on her design. Right now she was working on a Chat Noir hoodie with little cat ears. If she could find a glow in the dark fabric or paint, she'd trace a paw print on the left side, right over the heart. Her pencil flew across the page, lightly drawing the hoodie's outline and then adding in details. 

As the sun set, the Eiffel Tower lit up and Paris came alive with the warm glow of a hundred homes and businesses. Marinette set aside her drawing for a minute to stand at the railing and admire the view. That's when she saw him.

Chat Noir perched on top of a chimney a few streets over. His cat ears twitched slightly in the wind, and Mari couldn't help but notice that he looked sad. She had asked him to do patrol by himself tonight, but that was only so she could work on the fashion line. She wanted to give him the hoodie soon to thank him for helping her so often and working so hard. Seeing him sitting by himself, shoulders hunched against the cold, tugged on her heartstrings. She lifted the trap door and dropped inside. "Tikki! Can I have some cookies, please?"

"Sure, Marinette!" Tikki flew towards her with the three remaining cookies. "Are you going back inside? I'm going to go to sleep; I think I ate too many." She rubbed her tiny tummy and flitted over to the bed.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna stay up a little longer. Get some rest!" Mari cradled the cookies against her as she stepped out onto the balcony.

"Hey! Chat Noir!" She called for him across the rooftops, waving the cookies in the air. "Wanna take a break?"

His ears perked up as he turned to look at her. At the sight of the cookies, he stood and used his staff to vault across a few houses before landing on her roof. "Hi, Marinette." His smile seemed sadder than usual; she could tell something was up.

"Hi, Chat. I made some cookies this afternoon, want one?" She held the cookie out toward him and grinned encouragingly. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, his mouth full. 

"That was pretty impressive, what you did yesterday," she told him.

"Fighting Hawk Moth? We do that all the time. Me and Ladybug, I mean."

She giggled. "I know that. I was talking about fighting all the other heroes at once. You must be really brave." 

He brushed some crumbs off his face and flicked them away with his claws. "I don't know about that, but I'm glad you think so. It's nice to know someone appreciates what we do. Ladybug and I just do what we can, and most of Paris seems to take it for granted that we're here." 

"Well, I don't." She took another bite out of her cookie. 

Chat glimpsed her sketchbook lying open on the end table. "What's that, Marinette?"

She turned and saw the hoodie out in the open, Chat Noir symbols scrawled all over it. "Oh!" Heat rose to her cheeks. "Um, just a project. For you and Ladybug."

"Can I see?" He slid down onto the balcony, his face genuinely interested.

"Um, sure, I guess," she replied, picking up the sketchpad. "I'm designing a streetwear line based on, uh, you and Ladybug. To remind people of all you do for them." She handed the book to him, and he flipped through the pages, smiling at all of her designs.

"We don't do that much," he laughed, but his eyes showed that he appreciated the compliment.

"I think you do. Like I said, you fought off all your friends yesterday. And you remembered my name."

"That's not the same thing," he protested. "It's easy to remember someone's name."

"We've only talked two or three times, but you've never forgotten. Not once. If you're this nice to all of Paris, then you're doing a lot more work than you give yourself credit for."

His cheeks pinked, and he scratched the back of his head and looked down. "Uh, yeah, all of Paris..." he mumbled.

Mari decided she should just go ahead and ask him. "Why are you so sad, Chat?"

"What?" He glanced back up at her, surprised.

"Trust me, I know firsthand what it looks like when someone's sad. You, my good sir, are definitely upset about something." She pointed her cookie at him. "And a cookie is not going to be all it takes to solve your problems."

He sighed. "I guess I didn't expect you to notice, but I should've known you would. You're just that nice, Mari." His grin made her face turn red. "It's Ladybug. She's the new Guardian, and all of Paris knows. Hawkmoth's going to be working even harder to take our Miraculous, and now she's got the whole box. Even worse, I think she's going to lose her memory someday."

"Why would you say that?" she asked, surprised that he would mention something like that to a civilian.

"Well, uh, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"The old guardian was there yesterday. When he gave up the box to Ladybug, he forgot everything about his life, who we were, who he was. I can't imagine that happening to My Lady." He stared off towards the Eiffel Tower. "And I can tell it's weighing on her. From the second she got the box, it was like she wrapped herself in a whole new layer of secrecy. I know she doesn't want to tell me who she is, and that's a smart decision, but for a little while there... I was starting to think she actually cared about me." His voice broke, and he turned away.

"Oh, Chat." Marinette swallowed, her eyes tearing up. "I'm sure she cares about you," she murmured, pulling him into a hug. "It just may not be in that way."

He hesitantly hugged her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her torso. "It's okay, I guess. I've even met someone else, y'know, in my normal life. It's still hard to let go, though."

"I know." Marinette drew back and wiped away the one tear that had trickled down his cheek. "For now, you should focus on being the best Chat you can be, and that will always be enough. Ladybug appreciates you, and so do I. Even if you can't help her right now, you're still helping the rest of Paris."

"Thanks, Mari." Chat smiled slightly, embarrassed to be caught crying. 

"Here, have some more cookie." Marinette picked up the last cookie from the plate and broke it, offering Chat the larger portion. 

"Marinette!" Mrs. Cheng's voice carried up through the trapdoor. 

"I have to go. Come see me again after your patrol tomorrow night, okay?" Mari asked. "I'll bring more cookies. And remember, you don't need Ladybug to be a hero. Some of us like you better, anyway." With that, she ducked inside the trapdoor, closing it softly behind her. She stood at the bottom of the ladder for a moment and watched Chat through the skylight. He grinned down at her, finished his cookie, and vaulted away on his staff.

"Coming, Mom!" Marinette shouted downstairs.


	2. School

Fog...darkness... moonlight mixes with the mist... a figure steps forward.

Adrien reaches out his hand, a rose dangling from his fingertips.

The figure— Ladybug— reaches out to take it, but turns away after her fingers brush his. 

Adrien runs after her, but when his hand touches her shoulder, she is Ladybug no longer. Marinette smiles at him, and he hands her the rose instead, realizing that he's now Chat Noir. 

Adrien wakes with a start, his alarm blaring next to his ear. Nathalie knocks on his door, and he hears her soft voice urging him to get up for school. With a groan, he rolls over and pulls his pillow over his head. Honestly, with everything going on in his life right now, school was just an added stress. Not only had he fought the biggest battle of his life two days before, but he had also spent half the night talking to Marinette on her balcony as Chat Noir. All he wants to do right now was sleep. And eat another of Marinette's cookies.

"Adrien! You're going to be late," Nathalie chideS from the other side of the door. 

"I'm up, I'm up," he calls out, switching off his alarm and opening a drawer to find some clothes. Plagg flies out from underneath the pile of jeans, a triangle of stinky Camembert in his tiny hands. "Hey! Don't eat in there, you're going to make my clothes smell like your nasty cheese." He swats Plagg away and pulls on a pair of pants.

"Sorry, Adrien, but it's not like I can eat out here with Nathalie so close by." He tosses the cheese into the air before catching it in his mouth and swallowing it whole. "Besides, there's nothing like the delicious smell of Camembert to wake you up in the morning."

Adrien doesn't bother to reply as he pulls on a white button up over his t-shirt. After shoving all his books into a messenger bag, he slides in a few more pieces of the nasty cheese and holds the bag open for Plagg to fly in. "Come on, we're going to be late."

"You just wanna see Marinette again," Plagg cackles, but he hides in the bag anyway.

Adrien runs down the stairs and skids to a stop right in front of the mansion's massive doors. Nathalie glances at him once before looking back at her clipboard and asking, "Do you have all your homework?"

Adrien rushes through a mental checklist of all he had to do. "Yep."

"Don't forget you have a fencing session with Ms. Tsurugi this afternoon." 

"I won't!" Adrien pushes the doors open and runs down the gravel driveway towards the car. His bodyguard sits in the driver's seat and hands Adrien a cup of yogurt with fruit and granola when he gets in. "Thanks," Adrien says, sliding into his seat. The Gorilla grunts and steps on the gas pedal, sending them flying into the street.

Adrien sits back in his chair and closes his eyes. Talking to Marinette last night had been so much fun. Sure, he was dating Kagami now, but that didn't mean he couldn't have other friends who were girls. Especially if it was Chat Noir who had those friends, rather than Adrien Agreste. He liked talking with Kagami, and he could talk with her in a way that he couldn't with other people, but talking to Marinette was different too. He felt completely himself around her. Maybe it was just because he'd been Chat Noir at the time. 

The car pulls up to the high school, and Adrien hops out, thanking the Gorilla for the ride. "Okay, Plagg, no funny business today. You need to save your energy for tonight," he whispers into his bag. 

"ADRIKINS!!!" 

Adrien grimaces and continues walking towards the front steps. He's stopped halfway there by the hurricane that is Chloe Bourgeois. 

"Adrikins, you'll NEVER believe what happened to me this weekend! It was that horrible Papillon again— he akumatized me and I almost destroyed Paris! Oh Adri, it was AWFUL! I fought it so hard, but he was just too strong." She swoons dramatically, and Adrien has to rush forward and catch her before she hits the ground. She whips out her phone and snaps a selfie of him holding her. "This will look perfect on my Insta! Thanks, Adrikins!"

Adrien shakes his head and climbs the last of the steps. Nino is waiting for him inside the school doors. "Dude! You will NOT believe what happened this weekend!"

"Let me guess, you were akumatized?" Adrien asks wearily.

"Yeah, by Chloe, of all people! How'd you know?"

"Uh, it was on the news," Adrien lies. 

"Well, it was absolutely crazy! How was your weekend, man?"

"Same as usual. Stuck inside because of my insane dad."

"That's rough, buddy." Nino pats Adrien on the back before walking towards Alya. "Catch ya later, man, I gotta give Alya the deets for her LadyBlog."

Adrien dumps his books and homework in his locker and heads off to class. Marinette runs in through the doors as the bell rings, homework falling out of her bad. She must have overslept because she was up so late, Adrien thinks. He rushes forward to help her gather up her things. "Hey, need some help?"

"Oh, hi, Adrien," Marinette glances up at him. Her face is slightly pink, and he hopes he didn't embarrass her. "Yeah, I could use a little."

He crouches down next to her and starts making a pile of the homework. "How was your day yesterday?" He asks, trying to start a casual conversation. 

She smiles at him. "Pretty good, actually. I saw you and Kagami by the ice cream stand. Are you guys together now?" 

Heat crawls up his neck. "Uh, yeah, actually," he replies. 

She grins. "That's great. I'm really happy for you. You make a cute couple."

"Thanks." He shuffles the papers around more, then says, "I, uh, saw you, too. At Andre's ice cream, I mean. With Luka. Are you...?"

Now she blushes a little. "Yep."

"Cool, cool." He hands her the homework he gathered and stands up, turning away awkwardly. Why couldn't he have a normal conversation with her as Adrien? He should've told her he was happy for her too! UGH why was this so complicated?

"See you later, Adrien. And thanks," Marinette calls after him as she runs up the stairs to home room. 

He shakes his head, trying to dispel the awkward encounter from his thoughts. He needed to focus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for right now; I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know any scenes you'd like to see in the future :)


	3. Attack!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma attacks the school, and Adrien must get away so he can transform into Chat Noir.

Adrien wakes up with a start. Nino's poking him with a pencil, trying to get his attention before the teacher turns back around. "Dude! Wake up, she's gonna catch you!" 

He sits up straight and wipes his face to make sure he wasn't drooling. "Thanks, man," he whispers to Nino. He hasn't been able to focus since the battle, and he's just... so... tired. He can't help but wonder how much worse things are for Ladybug, since she has to protect the Miracle Box now too. 

"Class dismissed!" The teacher's voice rings across the room, and everyone starts packing up their stuff. That's when they hear it— someone's sobbing in the hallway. Adrien's gaze snaps towards the door, and he runs out of the room, but it's too late. 

A purple mask hovers in front of a young girl's face as she angrily points at Lila. "You have to believe me! She's the one who cheated off of me, not the other way around!" She's pleading with a teacher, but the teacher only backs away in fear. 

Lila's eyes widen and her lip trembles. "You know that's not what happened, Olivia! Ms. Bustier, she's the one lying!" 

Ms. Bustier is gone, ushering students away and down the stairs. "Go! Evacuate! Get home, now!" 

I am Papillon. Adrien hears the voice hiss through the mask. He's torn between running off to turn into Chat Noir and helping get everyone out. 

Marinette pushes past Adrien in the doorway and runs directly toward Olivia. "It's okay, Olivia! You can fight it! I believe you!" 

Olivia's face contorts in pain as she tries to block out the voice. "Thanks, Marinette, I'm trying," she whispers between clenched teeth. "It's... too strong...." she gasps, the voice echoing out, louder now. 

"Veritas, I grant you the power of truth. You can force others to switch bodies, and only you shall know the truth. Whatever you tell them, they will believe. In return, all I ask is Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous." 

Olivia falls still, and a black cloud seeps from the mask to cover her body as she mutters, "Yes, Papillon." 

Marinette scurries backwards, but it's too late. An arm reaches out of the cloud and grabs her. She twists away, running like the wind to escape. 

"Oh, Marinette, you tried. You tried, but even you can't stop Lila from getting what's coming." Veritas steps out of the cloud, which vanishes behind her. She is clad from head to toe in white, black, and grey, with red streaks in her hair. "Liiiiiiiiilaaaaaa," she calls out in a singsong voice, sauntering down the hallway in search of her prey.

Adrien peeks out from behind the classroom door. Good, she's gone. He runs down to the boys' bathroom and opens his bag. "Plagg! Akuma attack!"

"Aw, but I was just about to—"

"No time! Plagg, claws out!" Adrien lifts his fist into the air as Plagg is dragged into the Miraculous. Shimmering green races up his arm and across his body, leaving behind the black Chat Noir suit. As soon as the transformation is complete, Chat Noir rushes out of the restroom, his tail curling behind him. 

Veritas sits under the basketball net, surveying the destruction she's caused. Students are running in every direction, assignments falling out of their bags, trying to get out of the line of fire. Every few minutes Veritas points at two people, one with each hand, and they rise into the air. With a flick of her wrist, they begin to glow and scream in pain. Seconds later they drop to the ground, disoriented. She strides through the crowd of fleeing students to her victims. 

"Who am I? Where am I?" Sabrina calls out. She's no longer herself; she's trapped in Ivan's body. 

"I am Veritas, and you belong to me." The villainess leans down to whisper in Ivan's ear. 

Ivan's eyes turn black, and Sabrina's voice says, "I am your servant, mistress."

"Very good." Veritas spins on her heel and storms away, Sabrina-Ivan following. 

"Hey Veritas! I know you're mew around here, but we don't let people go around enslaving people!" Chat Noir leaps from the second story towards Veritas, staff outstretched. 

Veritas calls to Sabrina-Ivan. "Chat Noir wants to destroy Paris. Stop him."

Sabrina-Ivan jumps in front of Chat Noir and grabs the staff, launching Chat Noir over the rooftop. 

"Ladybuuuuuugggg!!!" Chat yells before smashing into a chimney. He groans and stands up, shaking his head to get rid of his dizziness. 

Ladybug's yo-yo wraps around the chimney, and she flies up onto the roof. "Hey, kitty. What's up?"

"Veritas. She's swapping people's bodies, and they believe anything she tells them." 

"Well, looks like we got our work cut out for us." She throws her yo-yo towards the school.

"Wait! There's something I wanted to ask you." Chat Noir scratches the back of his head nervously.

"We don't have a lot of time; what is it?"

"Now that you're the Guardian, shouldn't I know who you are so I can help protect the Miraculous?" 

"I'm not having this conversation now, Chat. You know why we can't share our identities." Ladybug sighs, and grabs her yo-yo string.

"Yeah, but..."

"There are no buts. We can't, okay? We just can't. It's time you moved on. We have work to do." With that, she jumps off the roof and swings towards the school. 

Chat Noir allows himself one second to be disappointed before racing off after her. Marinette was right. He needs to focus on being the best hero he can be. 

—————————————————-

Veritas strolls down the hallways, stopping at each classroom to pop her head in the door. "Oh, Liiiiiilaaaaa... where could you have gone, little snake? You can't hide from me forever." 

Lila presses herself further into a locker, pulling the door shut in front of her. Veritas' voice grows closer every second, and Lila can feel the fear crawling up her spine. What will she do to me?

Something smacks the wall of lockers. "I'm coming for you, snake." A hand trails along the locker doors, nails screeching across the metal. Knuckles rap, and hollow sounds ring out from the lockers. "I've got something speeeecialllll in store just for you." 

Lila's door is yanked open, and she stares into the terrifying black eyes of Veritas.

"There you are." Veritas tilts her head to once side and smiles at Lila, her teeth jarringly white. She flicks a finger, and Lila's whole body starts to glow. 

"NO! NOOOO! You can't DO this to ME! HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Lila screeches as she flies out of the locker and hovers in the air. Veritas grins at her evilly from below, her finger still pointing at the brat. 

"Now, what should we have you believe? Maybe you are forgotten by everyone who knows you. Maybe you've never been loved. Maybe you have a heart attack." 

Veritas is in the middle of pondering when the door is broken down. Ladybug and Chat Noir drop into the room, their expressions intent on the villainess.

"Well, well, look who's here." Veritas turns back to Lila. "Lila, you are in extreme pain." 

Lila's face turns purple and contorts as she screams at the ceiling. She writhes and twists but nothing can alleviate the pain. 

"No! Leave her alone!" Ladybug leaps forward, kicking out towards Veritas. Veritas' arm drops, and so does Lila. She plummets toward the ground, but Chat Noir catches her right before she hits the floor. 

Veritas and Ladybug are locked in a close match of hand-to-hand combat. Neither can gain the upper hand. Chat Noir dashes into the fray, managing to pin one of Veritas' arms behind her back. "Where's the akuma?" He shouts to Lila. 

"How should I know?" She screeches back. "Try the headband!"

Chat Noir yanks Veritas' headband out of her hair, causing her to whirl on him. Ladybug blocks her blows and distracts her for a second so Chat can crush the headband. Nothing. 

He searches for another object on Veritas' person. "What else could it be?" Getting no answer, he lunges at Veritas and manages to get her on the ground.

"Luckyyy charm!" Ladybug calls out, tossing her yo-yo towards the sky. "Gum? What on earth am I supposed to do with this?" As she looks around, a plan begins to form. "Chat Noir! Distract!"

Chat Noir continues his duel, keeping Veritas away from Ladybug. 

Veritas' eyes narrow. She thrusts one arm towards Lila and lifts it into the air. Lila yells, shaking and wiggling to try and get out of the magical grip. "Say goodbye to the snake," Veritas hisses, tossing her high into the air. 

Chat runs towards Lila, arms out to catch her. 

Veritas laughs, her eyes trained on Ladybug as she tries to figure out a use for the gum. "Ladybug! Let's see how you do without your powers!" She points at Ladybug, who tries to dodge but is caught by a magical hand anyway. 

Next, Veritas points at Lila, who stops mid-fall. "Swap!" Veritas shouts, cackling. "Now let's see how you do." She drops both girls. 

Lila and Ladybug scream as they plummet down again. Chat catches Lila and extends his staff for Ladybug to catch onto. 

Veritas strides towards Lila-Ladybug, who sits up and groans, rubbing her head. When she sees her gloved hands, she gasps. Touching her masks, she yells, and jumps into the air. "NO! How dare you turn me into— into her!" She runs from the room, disappearing down the hall.

"No matter. I'll catch you later." Veritas turns to Ladybug-Lila and Chat Noir. "What was that about a lucky charm, then?"

——————————

Lila closes the classroom door behind herself quietly, and breathes a sigh of relief when she turns the lock. "Finally," she whispers. Raising one gloved hand to her ear, she slides off her earring back and pops out the Ladybug earring. She then takes off the other, smiling when her spotted red suit disappears. "Now, Ladybug, I'll find out who you really are." She looks down at her clothes, but can't remember if she's seen them before. No! There has to be a mirror in here somewhere! She screams at herself, running around the room to find some kind of reflective surface. Angry, she drops to the floor, pounding her fists against the wall.

——————————

Ladybug turns to Chat Noir. "Kitty, it's me, Ladybug!" 

"She switched you?!" He cries out, indignant.

"It's okay, I can still fix this. All you have to do is...." she whispers into his ear.

"You two! Hand over your Miraculous!" Veritas leaps towards them, raising her arm to point at Chat Noir. 

"Not today, Veritas!" Ladybug knocks Veritas' hand aside, and her glowing ball shoots off towards the ceiling instead. 

"Why you little—" Veritas runs after Marinette, who swerves around the lockers. As she runs, Veritas feels her shoe catch, and she flails, almost losing her balance. "Ha! You can't trip me that easily, insect!" She tries to move forward, but her heel is stuck. She looks back, and her shoe is squarely situated in a pile of chewing gum. No amount of wiggling will get it loose. 

"Hey, Veritas!" Ladybug-Lila jumps out from behind the locker and knocks Veritas over, pulling her foot out of her shoe. "Now, Chat!"

"CATACLYSM!" Chat swipes his claws at the shoe, and it crumbles beneath his touch. A blue-black butterfly flaps out of it. He catches it between his claws. 

With the akuma gone, Veritas' suit disappears in a cloud of darkness. She is simply Olivia once more. 

Ladybug-Lila feels her body begin to tingle and glow. She must be switching back. "Chat! Feed your Kwami and transform back to destroy the akuma if you have to! I'm not sure where Lila went with my body." 

He nods, and her eyes close. 

——————————

Lila-Ladybug sees her fingertips begin to glow. "No! Not yet!" Hastily searching for a hiding place, she sweeps the Ladybug earrings off the tabletop and tucks them away behind a cabinet. Her eyes close.

—————————

Chat dips into the restroom once more and traps the akuma under a bowl. "Claws in!" 

Plagg pops up on the sink, panting. "That was a rough one."

"Sorry, but we're not done yet. Here, eat this." Adrien hands Plagg a triangle of Camembert, which he gulps down. "Claws out!"

Chat Noir lifts the bowl. "Cataclysm!"

The butterfly crumbles to dust. 

——————————

Lila runs across the courtyard and towards the classroom she hid in as Ladybug. When she opens the door, no one's there. Slipping in quietly, she reaches behind the cabinet and grabs the earrings. She leaves quietly. Papillon will pay quite well for these, she knows. All she has to do is find an akuma. 

——————————

"Phew, Tikki, that was close." Marinette peaks around the corner of the door. Lila had just run in here, but she didn't see Marinette hiding behind the door. "Tikki? Where are you?"

Marinette lifts her hands to her ears. Oh no.

Her earrings. They were gone.


	4. Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir sees Lila sneaking off after his battle with akuma, and is injured when he stops her to talk.   
> Meanwhile, Marinette has lost the Ladybug miraculous, and has to wait for Tikki to find her so they can get it back.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Chat Noir throws the packet of gum into the air, and ladybugs fly around the school, fixing all the damage caused by Veritas. 

A few seconds later, Chat Noir peaks out of the bathroom, checking to see if anyone was around to notice him leave. No one's in sight at first, but then Lila Rossi ducks out of a classroom across the hall. Chat Noir's eyes narrow as he watches her. She's acting suspicious; her fists are clearly balled around something and her gaze shifts from side to side.

Chat decides he has enough time before he transforms back. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he sneaks out into the hallway. With a flick of his wrist, his staff extends, and he vaults himself in front of Lila. "Oh, hi again! Lila, right? Yeah, I just wanted to check in and make sure you're fine after that akuma attack."

"Uh, yeah, yeah, all good. Would've been better if you and Miss Ladybug didn't let her grab me in the first place, but I'm fine now, I guess." She glares at him while she speaks, then brushes past and heads for the door.

"Uh, Lila?"

"What?" She yells back. 

"What's in your fist?" He asks, running in front of her again.

"None of your business!" She retorts, shoving him.

"No need to be rude." He brushes off his suit.

"Listen here, kitty." Lila grabs a broom from the janitor's bucket and snaps the handle in half over her knee. She slams one jagged end into Chat Noir's stomach. "What I do is my business, and mine alone. Got it?"

Chat gulps. He could take her down easily, but it's not fair for him to fight a civilian. "Look, Lila, as long as it's nothing bad, we're good, okay?"

"Stay away from me."

She hits him with the pole again, and he winces in pain before grabbing the broom from her. That'll leave a mark. "That's enough. You can't bully me into obeying you, y'know. You're lucky I'm too honorable to fight you." 

"Maybe you should. You and little miss Spots never had any honor in the first place. Now leave me alone!" With that, she jams the handle into a window, shattering the glass, and grabs a shard. "Don't forget it." She slices the sharp glass across Chat's cheek, leaving a long cut. 

"You've gone too far." He wipes away the blood and twists her arm until she drops the glass. "Keep your secrets, but if you threaten me or my partner ever again, I will come after you, and this time, I won't let you leave so easily."

He lets go of her arm and walks away, vaulting out of the school courtyard and into a small alley a few blocks away. His ring beeps urgently, and he whispers "Claws in." The suit fades, and Plagg pops out of his ring with a yawn.

"Twice in a row? Come on, Adrien! You better have some extra Camembert for that one." 

"Yep." Adrien reaches into his pocket and pulls out three slices of stinky cheese. "Don't eat it all at once."

"Too late!" Plagg throws them up in the air and catches them in his mouth one right after the other. After he swallows and lets out a long belch, he looks around. "Hey, kid, where are we? What's up with your face?"

"What do you mean?" Adrien raises his hand to his cheek, and his fingers come away sticky with blood. Come to think of it, his side is throbbing too, right where Lila hit him with the broom. "Father's gonna kill me!" 

"Aren't the magical ladybugs supposed to fix any injuries?" Plagg asks, patting his bulging stomach contentedly. 

"They would, if she had used them. I was injured after she used the lucky charm to fix everything." Adrien pulls out his phone and flips the camera around so he can inspect the damage. "Yikes, it's worse than I thought." Two cuts zig-zag across his cheek. Neither is especially deep, but they are long, and are still bleeding profusely. "School was supposed to end an hour ago. I've missed my fencing session with Kagami." He opens the phone and sends her a quick text to apologize. 

A: I'm sorry I missed fencing. Akuma attack at school.

K: I heard all about it on the news. I'm so glad you're okay ♥️ 

Adrien didn't know how he felt about seeing that heart from her. 

"Wait a minute, I know where we are!" Plagg flips in the air. "We're closer to Baker Girl's house, y'know, Marinette!"

Plagg's voice startles Adrien out of his plans. "Marinette's? That's right! I'm supposed to meet her tonight as Chat Noir. Maybe she can help me. Until then, I'll just have to tell Nathalie I'm staying late at school for a group project or something." 

"Mmmm, you should ask Mari to get you some croissants. They'd go so well with a nice piece of Camembert!" Plagg practically drools at the thought. 

"Right. How do you feel about getting ice cream, Plagg?" Adrien checks Instagram to find Andre's ice cream cart, then slips into a hoodie. With the hood up, he almost can't see the cut. It's almost stopped bleeding, so he cleans it off carefully in the bathroom of a nearby grocery. 

Andre is near the Eiffel Tower today, so Adrien pops in some earbuds, hits play on his phone, and starts walking toward Paris' main tourist attraction. 

\-------------------------------

Marinette sits on the front steps of her school, head in her hands. Where could her earrings have gone? She couldn't have just lost them; she'd been wearing them for almost a year! She never took them off! And, of course, she had to have to transform into Ladybug.

As she thinks back on the afternoon's events, only one possibility remains: Lila. She must have knocked them loose, or worse: taken them off or stolen them. How could Marinette prove that, though? More importantly, how could she get them back? 

Paris needs Ladybug. Sure, Chat Noir is capable on his own, but it's their duo that has kept Paris safe from Papillon. 

Tikki. Was Tikki taken with the earrings, or was she hiding somewhere in the school? Marinette doesn't even know how to begin looking for a kwami. They're so small. She'd have to wait for Tikki to find her, and the best way to do that was to follow a normal routine.

After school, Mari usually took Tikki for ice cream if she had time. Sometimes they would go with friends, but usually it was just the two of them, and Marinette would bring her sketchpad or homework to work on while they ate and chatted. Tikki isn't only Mari's kwami, she's her best friend. 

Mari stands up, wiping the last traces of tears from her face. Okay, she'd let herself be sad for a few minutes, but now it's time to work on a solution. Ice cream first. If Tikki didn't meet her at Andre's after an hour, she'd head home, like normal. 

She pops in her earbuds, presses play on her phone, and begins walking towards the Eiffel Tower. 

\------------------

Adrien thanks Andre for the ice cream and pays, dropping his change into the tip jar. The coins hit the glass with a satisfying clink. He walks over to a nearby bench and sits cross-legged, opening his bag for Plagg to fly out. "Here, try the strawberry and blueberry." 

Plagg smacks his lips. "What about the blackberry?" 

"That one's my favorite, so you can't have any." Adrien winks at Plagg, laughing, but stops when pain shoots along his cheek from the cut. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Plagg asks, eyeing the dried blood on Adrien's face. 

"I'm good, I promise. It'll take a little while to heal, that's all." He sits back and tugs the hood further down over his face. "Once it's closed, I can cover it up with makeup. Probably."

"Whatever you say." Plagg squints at him for a moment before diving into the strawberry scoop. 

Adrien pulls his phone out from his pocket. I wonder what Ladybug's doing right now. Has she found a good hiding place for the Miracle Box?

As he finds himself worrying about Ladybug's problems and his inability to help, he hears Marinette's voice again. Focus on being the best Chat you can be. He takes a deep breath. Maybe the best way for him to show Ladybug how much he loves her is to support her and let her know he's there if she needs him. He doesn't have to offer his help all the time, or flirt, or bug her to ask if she's okay. Maybe he should trust her, and know that she'll come to him if she needs his help. 

He smiles despite the pain in his cheek and eats a spoonful of blackberry ice cream. 

\-------------------------

Marinette's shoulders droop a little as Andre scoops her peach and mint ice cream, but she still smiles and asks about his day while he rings her up. The peach and mint are an unusual combination, but she loves them together. The mint is more daring, bold, and a little flirtatious, somehow, while the peach is sweet, reassuring, and reliable. Tikki always liked the mint better, but Marinette ate both at once. 

She sinks onto a bench a little ways away from the ice cream cart and pulls out her phone while she waits for Tikki. She's got a major maths project due soon, and she can't figure out one of the problems. Maybe her friends can help her.

Alya: Sorry, girl, I'm just as lost as you are.

Nino: I'm more of a music guy.

Sighing, she flicks through her contacts, trying to think of anyone who could help. Her finger hovers over Adrien's name, and she clicks it before she can think twice.

Mari: Hey, did you figure out #6 on the maths project?

She shouldn't get this nervous over a little text about homework, but old habits die hard. Luka may be the one who makes her heart flutter, but Adrien will always be her first love. It's probably better this way. Since she's with Luka, she can conquer her anxiety and get to know Adrien better as a friend.

Ding.

She picks up the phone.

Adrien: Yeah, all you gotta do is find the sine of angle a, take its inverse, and then subtract that plus angle b from 180. 

Oh. Well, when he puts it that way, it sounds so easy. 

Mari: Thanks. How's your day been?

She licks her ice cream, surprised to find herself completely calm when he responds. Maybe she really is getting over this anxiety thing. 

Adrien: Pretty good. Nothing like an akuma attack to get you out of a Chemistry test. wby?

Mari: 😂 yeah. I'm good too. My parents are trying out a new recipe for chocolate-filled croissants at the bakery tomorrow, do you want me to bring some to school for you? 

Adrien: really??? that sounds SO good. You're an angel.

Marinette feels her cheeks heat up, but she shoves the emotion away. No, she chides herself, he's just being nice. He's with Kagami, remember?

Mari: See you tomorrow on the way to school, then :) 

Adrien: Okay :) 

She slides down in her seat a little, happy to be making progress. She'd actually gotten through a conversation (over text, but that doesn't matter) with Adrien! And they were going to talk more tomorrow! Maybe being just friends wouldn't be as bad as she thought. 

As Marinette eats her ice cream, she glances around the plaza. Someone's hunched over in a hoodie by the ice cream cart, and a mom's pushing a stroller by the fountain. Still no Tikki. Five more minutes, and she's going to leave.

Something smacks into the back of Marinette's head. "Ow!" She yelps. "What was that?"

"Marinette! Down here!" 

"Oh my gosh Tikki!" Marinette reaches behind the bench to pick up a tired Tikki, who had fallen onto the ground. "Where have you been? Do you know where the Miraculous is?"

"Slow down! I need to eat; I've used up the last of my energy getting away from Lila." 

Marinette feeds Tikki a spoonful of mint ice cream. "Lila? Why were you with Lila?"

"It's not good, Marinette. When you switched bodies, she stole your Miraculous, and I can't get the earrings away from her. They're always in her pocket."

"Did she see you?" Mari asks, cupping Tikki in her palm. 

"I don't think so. It's bad, Mari. She's planning to give them to Papillon as soon as she finds an Akuma."

Marinette stares at Tikki. "This can't be happening."

"It is. And unless you get the miraculous back, you can't open the miracle box. Master Fu gave it to Ladybug, remember?"

"Remind me to fix that when I'm Ladybug again." Marinette stands up, giving the rest of her ice cream to Tikki to finish off. "You rest up in my bag, okay? I'm going to head home and come up with a plan."

\-----------------

Marinette crumples up another piece of paper and tosses it into the overflowing wastebasket. She thought that writing out her ideas would help her formulate a plan of action. Turns out that doesn't work when you don't have ideas. 

She groans and rolls her chair away from the desk. Her homework is finished, she's too distracted to work on her streetwear designs, and every minute she's worried she'll get news about a new akuma. She stands up to pace around the room.

A knock sounds at the trapdoor in the ceiling.

Who could that be? Mari thinks, climbing the ladder. It's only when she sees the black tail flicking over the glass that she remembers. Oh no, I invited Chat Noir tonight! Keep calm, keep calm, keEP CALM--

"Hey Mari." Chat Noir's sitting on the railing, his back to her.

"Hi, Chat. How are you feeling?"

"A little better than yesterday. Your pep talk helped a lot, actually," he laughs. 

"I'm glad. Do you want a croissant?" She holds one out to him as she closes the trapdoor. "It's got chocolate."

"Chocolate? Well, I have to try it if it has chocolate." He turns toward her and takes the treat. 

Marinette gasps. "Chat! What happened?" A huge gash caked with dried blood stretches from his temple to his chin. A slightly smaller cut peeks out next to it from underneath his hair. "Is that from the akuma attack today?"

"Kinda. It happened after Ladybug's lucky charm fixed everything, so I got to keep it." 

"Here, let me help." She reaches out to brush his hair away from the cut. He flinches at her touch, and she jerks her hand back. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," he breathes. "It just hurts more than I expected." His breathing slows back to normal. "Maybe I should leave. I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Chat, there's no way I'm letting you leave with an unattended cut across your face. Come inside. Now." She holds open the trapdoor.

He grins at her, wincing slightly. "You sound like my mom." A cloud of sadness drifts across his eyes, but it disappears before Mari can say anything. He jumps through the door, landing on her bedroom floor with a soft thump. 

Mari climbs down behind him, shutting the door quietly. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Why? Worried about me, purrincess?" He raises one eyebrow at her. Her face flushes pink, and he realizes what he said. "Um, Mari. I meant Mari. Sorry."

"It's all right. Everyone knows you can't resist a cat pun." She spins towards her closet, pretending to search for the first aid in an effort to hide her blush. Why am I letting him get to me? He flirts with everyone.

"Mari? Is that Chat Noir?" Tikki whispers down from the top of the closet. 

Marinette shushes her. "Quiet! He'll hear you. And yes. He's hurt, but I don't know how much I can help."

"Let me come with you, maybe I can do something."

"Okay, but keep out of sight." Marinette rummages in the bottom of the closet while Tikki flies into her hoodie pocket. "Found it!" she calls over her shoulder to Chat Noir. She lifts the first aid kit from the floor and carries it over to the couch. "Sit."

Chat Noir obediently sits down on the couch. She pours some cool water from her bottle onto a clean cloth and presses it to his cheek. "You never answered my question."

"Which question?"

"Are you hurt anywhere else? Don't lie." She looks straight into his eyes, determination written across her face. 

His gaze drops. "My side's kinda messed up. She jammed a broken broom handle into it." His voice is soft, barely a whisper.

"She?" Marinette's expression hardens. "The akuma? Who?"

"It doesn't matter." 

Marinette's stomach twists. If only she'd had her miraculous, she could've healed him instantly. This is all my fault. "I don't know how much I can help, but I'll try." She pulls up the cloth from his cheek. Most of the dried blood has soaked off the cut. "I'm going to clean it now. It might sting." She squeezes a little Neosporin onto her finger and gently rubs it over and into his skin. 

He hisses softly and grips the edge of the couch with his claws. 

"I'm sorry. Almost done," she murmurs, massaging the last of the ointment onto the wound. Without thinking, she places a quick kiss on the cut. "All better."

Chat Noir freezes, his eyes darting to hers.

The tip of Marinette's ears burn bright red. "Oh crap, I'm sorry, that wasn't on purpose. See, I babysit this little girl, and whenever she hurts herself, I always kiss it better, and I didn't mean to--"

He laughs at her flustered rambling. "It's okay, Purrincess. It seems both of us are off our game tonight." Chat smiles. "It was kinda nice, actually. My mom used to do that."

"Right. Um." Marinette gathers her thoughts, pushes away the part of her that wants to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment, and pulls out an ice pack. "Show me your bruise." 

Chat sighs. "I'm not sure how to--" He's cut off by a flashing green light. His suit shifts, changing from its normal self to a black t-shirt and jeans. "Uh, that works, I guess. Thanks, Plagg."

"Who's Plagg?" Marinette asks.

"Oh, he's my kwami. It's part of the superhero thing. He lives in my miraculous while I'm transformed, and he apparently has some control over my suit." Chat lifts the hem of his t-shirt to reveal a large, relish-purple bruise spread across his ribs. 

Mari sucks in a breath at the sight. "Yikes." 

"It's not as bad as it looks, in fact I barely feel i-- aa!" Chat jumps a little when Mari presses the ice pack against his skin.

She gives him a "look". "Barely hurts, huh? This should at least help numb it. Hold it there for a few minutes." 

"Thanks, Mari." 

She sits back on her heels and begins packing up the first aid kit. When her back is turned to Chat Noir, she nudges Tikki out of her pocket. "Well? Can you help him?" 

"I think so. Make sure he closes his eyes so he doesn't see me."

"Okay." Marinette turns around. "Hey, Chat, I found something else that might help. It might hurt though, so close your eyes. It'll help you ignore the pain."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Marinette." Chat squeezes his eyes shut. Tikki flies out from behind Mari and up to Chat's face. Breathing deeply, she begins to shake, then bursts into a cloud of ladybugs. They fly across Chat's cut, and it closes up as they move. When they move on to his bruise, it looks like he was never cut in the first place.

"Okay, all finished." The ladybugs have re-formed into Tikki and disappeared behind the couch. Mari leans forward and acts like she's putting away another medication.

"That didn't hurt too much; it just tickled, almost like when....never mind." Chat lifts his hand to his cheek and is surprised to find the skin smooth and unbroken. "What is that stuff?"

"Uh, spray-on skin. Yeah. It's a new product my mom brought back from China." 

"It's amazing. You can barely tell!"

"Yep." Mari slides the first-aid kit back into her closet. 

"Thank you, Marinette. Chat stands, and his suit shifts back to normal. "I feel a lot better, and the croissant was delicious."

"Any time, Chat. And I'm sorry again about that kiss, I really didn't mean anything by it, it just kinda happened--" 

Chat Noir leaned forward and quickly kissed Marinette's cheek. "There. Now we're even. No more embarrassing moments for either of us, okay?"

"Uh. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good." Marinette's ears turn pink again.

"I have to leave now. Thanks for helping me. You always know how to cheer me up." Chat climbs the ladder to the trapdoor and smiles down at her. 

"Glad to be of service to Paris' favorite superhero." She curtsies a little, laughing. "Don't go getting in any more fights without Ladybug. I don't think we have enough spray-on skin for another one." 

"I make no promises," he says, winking. "Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Chat Noir." 

He vaults away, blending into the night.

Mari lifts her hand to her cheek as she climbs into bed. She swears she can still feel his lips there, and she's not sure how she feels about it. "Good night, Chat," she whispers again. Her eyes close, and she falls asleep.

\--------------------

Adrien pulls his blankets up around his shoulders. "Plagg, did you see that? She kissed me. I mean, on the cheek, but still."

"Are you happy about it?" Plagg asks, lazily floating down to the pillow. 

Adrien doesn't answer for a while, but as Plagg falls asleep, he sees Adrien touch his cheek again. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked this chapter, please let me know in the comments :) It really encourages me to keep writing.


	5. Marinette's Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes on a date with Luka.

Marinette ties her hair back into two pigtails, combing it out at the same time. Her phone chimes from her bed, and she turns to pick it up.

Luka: Can't wait to see you for our date :) 

She responds quickly.

Mari: Me either! Where do you want to meet?

Luka: How about I pick you up in front of the bakery in ten?

Mari: Perfect. See you then!

She smiles down at the message before heading off to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Her purse is waiting by the door, a mini sketchpad, pencil, her wallet, and two hair ribbons tucked inside. "Tikki!" She calls out into her bedroom. "Are you coming?"

"Am I invited?" Tikki asks, zipping out from her place behind the computer. 

"Of course you are!"

"Then I'll come. After you get home, though, I have to leave again. I need to make sure Lila hasn't damaged the Miraculous."

"At least she hasn't tried to use it," Marinette observes.

"It's just because I didn't come out and tell her how it works. If she figures it out on her own, she'll turn into Ladybug, no matter how far away I am," Tikki replies.

"Then we can't let that happen. Just double-check that she's not in contact with Papillon yet. He could tell her how to use it." Mari tugs on her shoes and holds up her bag for Tikki to fly into. "Ready?"

"Yep!" Tikki drops into the bag, pulling the top closed behind her. 

Marinette slips into a jacket and slides down the stair rail to the first-floor bakery. "Bye Mom and Dad! I'll be back after dinner!" 

Mari's parents wave at her as she rushes out the door. She sees Luka riding towards her on his bike and grins at him. He stops right in front of the boulangerie and hops off the bike. "Hey Marinette."

"Hi Luka," she answers, grinning again. He always puts her completely at ease. "So, where do you wanna go?"

"I was thinking of a little spot I know near the school. There's something I wanna show you. That cool with you?" A breeze blows gently by, tugging his hair to one side. 

"Sure." Mari's struck by how handsome he is. She can't believe she didn't notice it before. Maybe she just had to get over Adrien to see it. 

Luka slides his bicycle in the side door, says hello to Mari's parents, and comes back outside. "Let's go," he says, offering her his hand.

She takes it, feeling heat rushing up her face. "So, how was your day?"

"Pretty good. I wrote a few new songs for the band, and I've almost figured out the last bits of your song." He smiles at her.

"My song?"

"Yeah, the one I'm writing to describe you and the way I feel about you. The melody's done, I've just got to finish the lyrics. I'm trying to get the perfect mix of beautiful, sweet, and strong to match your personality."

"Thanks, Luka." She squeezes his hand a little tighter as they walk down the streets of Paris. 

"What about you? What's your day been like?"

Mari thinks for a minute, trying to sort out what she could tell him without giving away that she's Ladybug. "I had school this morning. We've got a big project coming up, and we were assigned our partners today."

"Cool. Who'd you get?"

"Adrien." She glances down for a second.

"Haven't talked to him much, but he seems cool. I only ever see him for band stuff."

"Yeah, he's nice." She desperately wants to tell Luka about the Miracle Box, and how she'll have to figure out new people to give the Miraculous to, and that she might lose her memory when she gives it up. 

"Are you okay, Mari? Something seems off. What's wrong?" Luka stops walking to look at her, and she can tell in his eyes that he's worried about her. "Is everything all right?"

She can't hardly think when he's looking at her with those big blue eyes, his face so full of concern. "I think everything's just really stressful right now. There's a lot going on with school, and all of this" -- she gestures to their linked hands-- "is new to me. I had a crush on one guy for a whole year, and I spent a lot of time invested in getting to know him. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love going on dates with you and getting to know you, too, but it's different, and I'm not sure how fast I can adapt."

Luka is silent for a minute, thinking. "If you're stressed out with everything, let me help. Maybe we can just take this slow, and work on being good friends before we try to date seriously. If you need me to help with any of your design projects or schoolwork, I'll do whatever you need. I'll be here for you, whatever you want that to look like."

"Thanks, Luka." She smiles at him and stretches on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "I really do like you. A lot. It's just going to take some getting used to. Now, what was it you wanted to show me?"

Luka takes her hand again and gently guides her past a few old buildings. 

"I have absolutely no idea where we are," Mari says after a few minutes of winding through dimly-lit Paris streets. 

"Don't worry, we're almost there." Luka walks down a thin side street and comes to an ornate wooden door. 

"Wow," Mari breathes, taking in the intricate carvings and spirals of metal that decorate the door. 

"That's not even the best part," Luka says, grinning, as he slips a key into the lock and turns it. He pushes the door open with one hand and holds it for Mari to walk through.

Marinette stops as soon as she gets through the doorway, her breath caught in her throat. Spread before her is a luscious green garden, low-standing shade trees stretching their limbs over dirt pathways and thousands of flowers. A small creek winds across the ground, reflecting the clouds above. Orange-gold lights are strung from tree to tree, and they wave slightly in the wind. A bird is singing somewhere, and Marinette can barely contain her delight at the beauty before her. 

"What is this place?" she whispers.

"Do you like it?" Luka asks, eagerly awaiting her reaction.

"Like it? It's... incredible! Miraculous, even! How did you know about this?"

He laughs, happy that she seems to love it as much as he does. "It was my grandmother's. She owned the building around it and spent most of her life cultivating this courtyard. After she died, she left it to me and Juleka. I've been taking care of it and fixing it up ever since." 

Mari slips out of her shoes and walks forward slowly, trailing her hand through the flowers and admiring the trees. When she reaches the biggest tree in the center of the garden, she circles it, fingers tracing over the rough bark. Slightly above eye level, two sets of initials are carved inside a heart: JC and SC. "Whose are those?" she asks.

"That's my grandmother and grandfather's initials. Juleka's named after her, and my grandfather's name was Simon." 

"They're beautiful," Mari murmurs reverently, lightly running her fingers over the carving. 

"I knew you'd like it," Luka says, smiling. "Come on, let's eat." He tugs her away from the tree, holding her fingers loosely in his hand. They cross a tiny bridge over the creek and wander to a weeping willow tree surrounded by flowers and fireflies. A red checkered quilt sits on the ground, candles in the center and on the edges. Warm bread with butter is set out next to a round bowl of French onion soup, and a pot of tea rests between the centerpiece candles. 

"You did all this?" Marinette asks, her eyes shining in the candlelight. She turned to Luka and noticed him watching her, his cheeks pink with excitement. "Thank you. Really. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You do want to actually eat the food, don't you?" He says, pulling her down next to him on the quilt. He fishes out two spoons from the picnic basket and hands her one. They tap their spoons together and laugh before digging in. 

Marinette savors the taste of the soup and twists some cheese around on her spoon. The bread is just as delicious, crunchy on the outside but soft, warm, and flavorful on the inside. She can tell it's homemade. "Where'd you get the idea for this?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do, actually. Have a picnic by candlelight with the most beautiful girl in the world. Sort of a lifelong dream, I guess." He grins at her as he pops a bite of bread into his mouth.

She laughs. "You're a romantic at heart, Luka Couffaine. I can't believe some other girl hadn't snatched you up before we met."

"I didn't want some other girl," he replies, twirling one of her hair ribbons around his finger.

She flushes. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always being honest, and kind. For being unafraid to tell me how you feel. For being bold, and daring, and unapologetically you." She kisses him on the tip of his nose. 

He blushes now. "Marinette, no one will ever inspire me like you do." He leans forward and whispers, "May I kiss you?"

"Please," she responds, tilting her face towards his.

He kisses her on the lips once, softly, gently, respectfully. A thousand words are contained in that kiss, a knowledge of everything about her, an affirmation of how wonderful he knew her to be, a wish to be by her side as she faced every struggle life threw at her. 

Marinette entwines her fingers in his hair and smiles against his lips before kissing him back. His lips taste of music and evening and starlight, of blue and grey and purple. Shooting stars fall above them, and they lean back to admire the view, their fingers still tangled together, her hand in his hair. 

"Do you ever feel like we're part of something bigger? Something that's beyond us?" Mari asks, leaning into Luka.

"I don't just feel it, I know it. Marinette, there's not a doubt in my mind that you will change the world. You're a force of nature, and I'd hate to be the one who stands in your way." He smiles at her, and her fingers trace across his lips. He kisses her fingertips softly. "I hope you know just how much everyone needs you. I have a feeling all of Paris, if not the whole world, would fall apart without you here encouraging everyone and standing strong against the tempests."

"You're a poet and a flirt," she laughs, shifting onto her elbows. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." 

He sits up too. "Come on, there's one more thing I wanna show you." He helps her to her feet and leads her across the garden to another weeping willow tree, this one taller. Hanging from a low branch is a wooden swing suspended on two thick ropes. "After you, my lady," he says, bowing. She giggles and steps through the dangling leaves, her skirt swishing in the breeze. Hands wrapping around the ropes, she lowers herself to the wooden swing and glances back at Luka. He closes his hands around hers and carefully pushes the swing forward, causing Mari's feet to leave the ground. She laughs, and when he lets go, she sails forward before drifting back to him. 

One of her hair ribbons comes loose, so she unties both of them. "Come here," she says, motioning Luka around to her side of the swing. She takes his hand in hers and wraps the ribbons around it, looping them together with a neat knot. "There. Now you can carry my colors into battle, brave knight." 

"Thank you, my lady." He bows again, and she is suddenly struck by a memory of another boy bowing and calling her m'lady. The nickname had always felt a little unwelcome coming from him, but she didn't mind it so much now. In fact, she found herself missing it. He would've done patrol without her last night, and he'd have to do it tonight, too.

"Mari, it's getting late. I should take you home." Luka's voice startles her out of her thoughts, and she lets go of his wrist. 

"I have a little time. There's just one more thing I want to do." 

"Lead on." 

Mari slides off the swing and pulls Luka behind her as she heads towards the tree's trunk. "Help me up?" she asks, gesturing to the low-hanging branch above her. He nods and kneels, forming a step-stool with his hands. She gingerly steps up, and he stands, allowing her to reach the branch. She pulls herself up, then offers him her hand.

"You're really strong," he comments, dusting off his hands. She's already climbing higher, stretching her feet from one limb to the next with perfect balance. 

"Thanks," she calls down to him. "Come on, you've gotta see the view up here."

He grins and climbs up after her, his feet finding purchase easily on the thick branches. She's waiting for him when he arrives at the top, her legs dangling over the side of a branch and her back against the trunk. "Whoa," he breathes, taking in the view before him. 

All of Paris is laid out below. The tree reaches just above the rooftops, and they can see glowing houses and buildings for miles. The Eiffel Tower is lit up in gold a distance away. Stars twinkle behind thin grey clouds, their pale light a stark contrast to the glittering gold of the city. 

"Thank you for bringing me here, Luka," she says, leaning back against his chest. He shifts slightly and props his feet up on another branch. "You've really cheered me up."

"I'm glad." He strokes her hair lightly, enjoying the view. 

"I appreciate your offer to start as friends and develop towards really dating, but I realized that's not what I want. I don't think we can just be friends. I want to date you. I just have to work on balance, so I don't get too stressed out with everything in my life."

"I want you to be comfortable no matter what," Luka replies. 

"And I really appreciate that." She tilts her head up at him. "I'd like to kiss you right now."

"Go ahead," he responds, smiling.

She turns to him and cups his face in her hands, leaning in to press her lips lightly against his. She sits back and brushes his hair out of his face. "I have to go, but we should do this again. Soon."

He grins. "Anytime you want." 

She hops down to the branch below and begins making her way back to the base of the tree. He follows right behind her. He hums as they walk towards the door. Marinette slips her shoes back on, and they stroll towards the bakery hand in hand. They stop underneath a streetlight a block away. "Thanks for dinner, Luka," Mari says, hugging him. 

"Bye, Marinette. Sleep well." He lifts her hand to his lips, kisses it softly, and turns to walk home.

Marinette waits until he's around the corner before opening her bag. "Tikki! How amazing was that?"

"Great, Marinette, but I've got bad news. I sensed something while you were on your date, but couldn't tell you.

There was an akuma attack, and Chat Noir is having to fight on his own."


	6. Lonely Battles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir has to fight an akuma on his own, and when he goes to see Marinette, he finds out something that makes him jealous.

Chat Noir runs towards the akuma victim, his shoes pounding against the rooftops. Minisculi is always at least one jump ahead, and Chat Noir is trying his hardest to keep up. As she leaps, she touches the buildings around her, and they begin to shrink.

Chat's path is becoming smaller and smaller as he chases Minisculi. Yelling, he extends his baton and vaults forward into the park. At this time of night, no one's strolling around or having a picnic. Perfect place for a battle.

"Hey, Minisculi! You want my miraculous? Come and get it!" he shouts, landing directly in front of the running villain.

Minisculi grins. "Why, how kind of you to offer, Kitty," she cackles, swiping for Chat's ring. He dances backwards, skidding to a stop just outside her reach. "Oh, come on, that's no fun," she hisses, leaping forward. 

Chat Noir ducks and sweeps her feet out from under her. She falls with a thud, her hand swiping across a flower on her way down. The flower shrinks and shrinks until it's barely the size of a pin. Chat lunges towards her, but she leaps back up and swipes out at him. He avoids her hand, but his baton is not so lucky. Her fingers glance it as he runs by, and the baton dwindles in size and falls from its place. 

"That wasn't very paw-some of you!" he shouts at her as she attacks him. He ducks away again before aiming a punch at her stomach. Minisculi flies backward, but is back up again in a second. The two fight back and forth for several minutes, neither gaining the upper hand. Chat notices she tends to protect her left side, and sees a pocket in her costume. He feints to her right, and as she leans to block him, he grabs at the pocket and manages to wrestle out a blackened ticket. With a quick motion of his wrist, the ticket is torn, and a black butterfly flies out. Minisculi sinks to the ground, head in her hands.

"CATACLYSM!" Chat shouts. Dark magic swirls around his claws, and he catches the butterfly between them. It crumbles to dust and blows away in the breeze.

"Where am I?"

Chat turns around to see Alix sitting on the ground, her arms crossed and a dazed look on her face. "Hey, it's okay. You were akumatized, but everything's fixed now."

"Really? Where's Ladybug?" Alix asks, looking around. 

"She couldn't make it. Do you remember what made you upset?" Chat sits next to Alix on the grass.

"I... I think it was something Chloe said. Yeah, it definitely was. I mentioned wanting to go with Kim to the Ferris wheel, and she made fun of me and kept saying I was too short to ride. Normally that wouldn't bug me, but she kept going on and I guess I just let her get to me. She makes me feel so...small." Alix hangs her head, playing with her ticket. 

"I understand." Chat hugs her from the side. "Sometimes the little things start to annoy us. Next time, just remember that, while she's trying to make you look small, really she's the one that looks small. Everyone else will remember how terribly she acted, and in the end, she'll have fewer friends because of it. Keep holding your head high." He stands as his ring begins to beep. "I have to go. Can you get a ride home?"

"Yeah, I was gonna meet Kim here anyway," she says, climbing onto her feet. "Thanks, Chat Noir."

"Anytime." He digs his baton out of the grass, pleased to see that Minisculi's magic has worn off and it is full size again. He vaults out of the park and into a side alley, sliding open his staff to call Ladybug. She doesn't answer, so he leaves a message. "There was a small akuma attack, milady, but I handled it. Normally it wouldn't matter, but I haven't seen you for several days now, and I'm beginning to worry. Did I do something wrong? Is everything all right? Is this about the flirting, because honestly, I swear I'll stop... anyway, call me back." He sighs and ducks behind a dumpster, making it just in time for his suit to disappear in a flash of green. 

Plagg falls to the ground, exhausted. Adrien scoops him into his bag next to several pieces of cheese. He knows Plagg would rather sleep than be woken up after a fight. Whistling, he adjusts his button up shirt and strolls out of the alley. Luckily, Minisculi hadn't caused any real damage, just shrank a few buildings, all of which returned to normal when she was defeated. If she had been a more destructive villain, he would have needed Ladybug's Lucky Charm to fix everything.

Adrien walks towards his house. Before the attack, he and Kagami had been eating ice cream on the roof, but her mother had taken her home at the first sign of trouble. Now he sneaks in the back door and climbs up the stairs to his room. His father is still working, and Nathalie is with him, so no one's around to ask where he's been. He lets himself fall onto his bed and lays there for several minutes, eyes closed, trying to figure out what to do. 

If Ladybug's been gone, even for patrol, since Veritas's attack, then she must either be mad at him for something or gotten in trouble. It didn't make sense for her to disappear just because she's mad, though; she used to always do her job, no matter how she was feeling. 

Something must be wrong.

Maybe the body switch with Lila hadn't worn off. Maybe it was Ladybug he had fought in the hallway that day. Maybe that's why she was being so secretive. 

But Ladybug wouldn't hurt him...would she? 

The more he thinks about it, the more Adrien comes to the realization that he doesn't know Ladybug near as well as he thought. He's going to have to test out this Lila-Ladybug theory, and do it soon. 

In the meantime, he needs a bit of cheering up. He reaches into his bag for some cheese and wakes up Plagg. "Here, eat this," he offers, handing Plagg the cheese. 

"I'm never one to refuse some delicious camembert," Plagg responds, gulping down the slice. "Mmmm, got any more?"

"You have five minutes to eat as much as you want, then we're leaving," Adrien says, setting out a plate of the stuff.

"That's plenty of time," Plagg answers, licking his lips before diving into the pile of stinky cheese. 

Adrien quietly walks down to the kitchen. He'd made some cookies this morning for Marinette, so he figures now would be a good time to take them to her. He carefully slides them off the tray and into a paper bag, then pulls out his phone to text Nathalie.

Adrien: Going to bed since I need to be up early for fencing with Kagami.

Nathalie: Don't forget to brush your teeth.

He smiles a little at the motherly message as he walks back up the stairs and into his room. Plagg is sitting on the desk, his belly full and the plate empty. He belches, and Adrien waves away the stink. "Ready?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"Marinette's," Adrien replies.

"Ooo, Baker Girl. Make sure to get some extra croissants for me this time!"

Adrien shakes his head. "How much can you eat?" he mumbles, then says "Plagg, claws out!" 

He always feels more comfortable in his suit. There's something about no one knowing who you are that lets you be your true self. Chat Noir is the essence of Adrien, Adrien without fear, Adrien in a world that is all his own. Chat leaps out the window, carefully leaving it open, and vaults across the rooftops. 

Marinette stands on her balcony, elbows against the railing, a strange mix of worry and happiness written across her face. Chat watches her for a second, trying to figure out what's going on to cause these seemingly conflicting emotions. 

"Hello, Princess," he says, dropping onto the railing. 

She smiles at him. "I was hoping you'd come," she replies, relief evident in her voice.

"Why? What's wrong?" He hops off the railing to come closer, concern etched into his features. "Is everything all right?" 

She laughs. "Everything's fine, especially now that I know you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I heard you had to fight an akuma on your own, y'know, without Ladybug, and I... I was worried about you." She drops her voice for the last bit, letting her sentence fade off into a whisper. "I just wanted you to be okay."

"I'll try not to take it personal that you don't think I can handle myself in a fight," he teases, leaning against the railing next to her. In truth, he's touched that she cares so much, and his eyes betray how much it means to him. 

"It's not that at all, Chaton," she replies, "I know you can handle yourself. I just don't want you to get hurt, especially without Ladybug's Lucky Charm there to undo any damage." 

"Thanks." He feels his voice catch in his throat and turns to look out over the skyline, willing his wave of emotions to settle. As he rubs the back of his head, he hears a crinkle in his pocket and stands up straight. "Oh! That reminds me! I made you cookies!" He unzips his pocket to pull out the plastic bag of snickerdoodles. 

She smiles, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "You baked something? For me?"

She's got such a cute little dimple when she smiles, Chat thinks, then catches himself. "Uh, here," he says, handing her one.

"Thank you." She bites through the crisp outside and into the soft center. "Chat! These are really good! You should help out in the bakery sometime." She nudges him playfully and finishes off the bakery. "Well, even though I know you're a good fighter, I'm glad you're okay." 

"Me too." He shoves a cookie into his mouth and chews quietly, enjoying watching the skyline with someone who cared about him. After a moment, he asks, "So, Mari, how was your day? What did you do?"

Her face flushes slightly, and she answers, "Uh, I had a date."

"A date?" Chat's smile falters for just a second, but he's back to normal in no time and smirking at her. "Who's the lucky guy?"

She laughs. "Luka Couffaine. He's a little older than me, but his sister goes to my school, and we got to know each other pretty well. He's really sweet, and creative, and poetic..." she trails off, lost in thought. 

"Sounds like a cool guy." Chat turns away, hiding his face. He doesn't know why, but the thought of Marinette on a date makes his skin prickle. He knows he doesn't own her, and he doesn't want to, but he can't help feeling a little jealous. 

"Yeah, he is. He took me to his grandmother's secret garden and set out a picnic for us." She smiles slightly, remembering the magical evening.

"So is he a good kisser?" Chat asks, his smirk returning. 

"Oh you have no idea... wait, um, I mean..." Marinette catches herself and turns cherry red. She buries her face in her hands as Chat laughs.

"I'm just teasing, Mari," he says. "I'm glad you found someone who recognizes how amazing you are. Really, I am."

"Thanks." Her blush fades as she looks out at the skyline. 

"I have to go, Princess, but I'll see you tomorrow, if that's all right with you." He leaps onto the railing, crouching and looking down into her face. He's so close that he can feel the heat of her breath. 

"Uh, yeah, that's fine with me," she answers, smiling. "See you then." 

"Goodnight, my lady."

"Goodnight, my chaton." 

He vaults away into the darkness.

\--------------------------

Thank you for reading! I always appreciate feedback and ideas for scenes you want to see, so drop a comment telling me what you liked and what you want to read in the future! Love y'all :) ♥️


	7. Chat and Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien questions the true nature of his feelings for Mari and Alya plans the school dance. An akuma attacks, and Multimouse makes an appearance.

Marinette falls asleep with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Her date with Luka had gone well, and Chat had been able to handle the akuma all on his own. She pushes aside her other worries and gives herself tonight to simply relax, appreciate what she has, and sleep.

\---------------------

Adrien is not so lucky. 

He tosses and turns all night long, questions pounding around inside his head. Where is Ladybug? Is she mad at me? Why am I upset that Mari's dating Luka? What's wrong with me? His head aches and his skin feels hot. He ends up resting on top of his covers, sweat making his hair stick to his forehead. The sun rises slowly, a tide of lightly softly washing into his room through the wall of windows. Adrien can't think any more, and fades into sleep, just to be woken a little later by Nathalie. 

School isn't so bad, but it's hard for Adrien to keep his eyes open. He keeps glancing over at Marinette. She's practically glowing today, her quiet confidence and joy surrounding her like a halo. 

\---------------------

Mari takes copious notes in class that day, a new determination fueling her. Last night had helped her get a new perspective. Life may be stressful, and crazy, but looking out at all of Paris, first with Luka, then with Chat Noir, helped her realize that she is needed. She has a purpose, and a job to do, and she will not let her city down. 

During study hall, she makes a to-do list in her diary:

1) Get my miraculous back from Lila.

2) Figure out how to open the Miracle Box out of costume.

3) Figure out how to keep my memories when I pass on the Miraculous. 

She snaps the book shut and glances around the library, making sure no one is watching. When she's satisfied that everyone is focused on their own work, she opens her bag and talks to Tikki. "Okay, Tikki, we know Lila has the earrings, right? I'm thinking we should search her locker for them during lunch. She'll be off with everyone else in the cafeteria, so you can help me unlock it and check."

"I don't know that this is a good idea, Mari," Tikki responds, her eyes full of worry. "What if someone catches you? You don't want to get in trouble."

"I have the perfect plan. All I have to do is say I saw that her locker was open and her water bottle was leaking all over her books and the floor. If anyone sees me, I can tell them I was trying to clean it up and help her out." 

Tikki sighs. "Fine, but we'll have to be fast. Besides, she might be keeping the Miraculous on her person."

"Doesn't mean we can't look."

The bell rings, and all the students begin to pack up. Mari slips her books into her messenger bag and walks off, heading towards her locker. 

Alya jogs to catch up with her as she leaves class. "Hey, Mari!" 

"What's up?" Marinette asks, grinning at her best friend. 

"Where have you been lately? I haven't seen you outside of class for a couple of days."

"Sorry, Alya, I've been pretty busy. There's been a lot of homework, and business at the bakery has picked up. We can do something together today, though! I'm free after school."

"Perfect. I'll meet you at your house; I promised Nino I'd walk home with him first. Don't forget!" Alya calls out, laughing, as she walks away. 

Marinette takes an unusually long time at her locker, shuffling around her papers and organizing her binders while everyone else wanders out of the room and towards the cafeteria. Finally, she hears to door close behind the last student and turns around. "Okay, Tikki, let's go," she whispers. Tikki flies over to Lila's locker and phases inside, releasing the lock. 

Lila's locker is filled with pictures of her with various people in their class. There's one of her and Adrien, and another of her posing with Ivan and Mylene. "What a kiss up," Marinette mutters, ruffling around inside Lila's bag. She can only find a tissue and the answers to today's chemistry test. I knew she was a cheater, Mari thinks. The rest of the locker is just as earring-free, and she closes it with a sigh. "I was really hoping they'd be in there," she says.

"I told you they'd probably be with her," Tikki replies. "You'll have to wait until her guard Is down and see if you can get them."

"You're probably right," Mari says. She grabs her lunch and heads out to the cafeteria, mood only slightly dampened. 

\---------------------

Adrien can barely think as he eats his lunch. Nino's talking about some party he's DJing for this weekend, and Alya is asking him to help her edit her latest interview for the Ladyblog. He's trying his best to join in the conversation when Lila slides into the seat next to him.

"Hey, Adrien," she purrs, her green eyes flashing. "I got these great new earrings, and I'm going to wear them for a photoshoot I have today. Jean Paul, Paris' most famous teen photographer, as I'm sure you know, is asking me to model for him this afternoon! Got any tips for me?" She smiles up at him through her eyelashes, her voice sickly sweet.

"Oh, um, sure," Adrien responds, surprised. "Uh, just follow his directions, I guess, and try to look natural. He probably thinks you look pretty as you are, if he asked you to model, so you don't need to try and be someone you're not."

"Thanks so much, babe! You're so helpful and sweet," she simpers, kissing him on the cheek. 

He grimaces as she walks away. What a kiss up. 

\------------------------

Marinette walks to her friends' table right as Lila's leaving. Lila bumps into Marinette intentionally, her shoulder digging into Marinette's chest. "Whoops, sorry there," Mari says, trying her best to be polite no matter what Lila does or says.

"You should be. Why are you such a klutz?" Lila scoffs, whipping her hair around as she walks away.

Mari's eyes widen. When Lila flipped her hair, she noticed something-- the earring Lila wore. They were black and shaped like tear drops, which was different from when Marinette wore them, but she'd know them anywhere. Those have to be her Miraculous. She can't say anything now, though, so she shuffles over to her table, mind reeling. How is she going to get the miraculous back if Lila's wearing them? 

"Hey, girl," Alya says, moving her stuff so there's room for Marinette.

Mari sits down across from Alya, which, coincidentally, puts her right next to Adrien. A few weeks ago, this would have made her an incoherent mess, but being with Luka has helped her build confidence. She doesn't like Adrien that way anymore, and while his good looks can be intimidating, she knows he's really just an awkward teenager like the rest of them.

"So, whatcha talking about?" she asks, biting into her sandwich.

"Lila's been asking Adrien for modeling tips," Alya laughs. "Apparently she's got a new gig and wants his thoughts." 

Adrien turns beet red. "It wasn't anything weird, really. She just wanted some help." 

"Cool," Mari mumbles through her sandwich. Her mind is elsewhere, thinking about the miraculous. She zones out for several minutes as she chews, and doesn't come back to attention until Alya waves her hand in front of Mari's face.

"Mari! Were you listening?"

"Sorry, sorry, I just blanked." She leans forward, giving Alya her undivided attention. "What is it?"

"I was talking about the dance the school is letting me host! Y'know how we made a petition for them to let us have an Autumn Formal instead of just a Spring Formal? Well, they're letting us! And since it was my idea, they asked me to organize it, and Mr. Damocles said all proceeds can go to the Ladyblog's charity for akuma victims! Isn't that great?" Alya's grin is so wide Mari thinks her face might split. She's almost bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Alya, that's fantastic! I'm so happy for you! Do you need any help setting it up?" Mari knows her schedule is already fairly busy, but she wants to help out her best friend any way she can. 

"Well, I'm going to need all of you to help me out. For now, I just need you to help me decide between two themes for now. I'm thinking either Under the Stars or Autumn Masquerade!"

"Why not both? They'd go well together, especially if you do it around Hallowe'en," Mari suggests.

"That's a great idea!" Adrien pipes up. "Alya, you and Nino can take care of the scheduling and music, and Marinette and I could work on the food and flyers. Sound good?"

"Awesome, bro!" Nino says, fist-bumping him. "This is gonna be the best Autumn Formal ever, babe," he tells Alya. 

"Thanks," she replies, nudging his shoulder playfully.

"Cool. Alya, send me a date as soon as you can. Adrien, how about you come over after school today to help me design the flyers?" Mari can hardly believe how relaxed she feels inviting Adrien over. She's excited, but only as much as she would be for any other friend. "I gotta go grab my stuff for class. See ya later!" she calls, rushing off. 

\----------------------

Adrien hesitates slightly at the door, his hand hovering over the doorknob. Sure, he's visited Mari's house plenty of times, but mostly as Chat Noir, and now that he's second-guessing his feelings for Mari, it feels weird to see her outside of school as Adrien. Inhaling, he pushes the door open and waves at Mari's parents. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he says, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, Mari and I were supposed to work on something together for the school dance, so..."

Sabine ruffles his hair and tells him, "Go on upstairs; she's setting everything up in the living room. I'll be up in a few minutes with some croissants." She turns back to the customers and waves him away. 

Adrien finds Marinette in front of the TV, her tablet hooked up to the screen. She already has a few ideas sketched out and on display, several of them featuring beautiful, simplistic dancing figures or clusters of stars next to a large moon. 

"Oh! Adrien! Hi," Mari says when she sees him. "Didn't expect you to get here so early. Um, I'm just working on a couple of ideas, but I got out some different papers and font samples for you to look at in the meantime." 

"Cool, sounds good," he replies, sitting cross-legged next to her on the floor. He rummages through the stack of paper, checking out the different sizes and colors she had found. A few have smaller slips of paper with words in fancy fonts paper clipped to them. "I like this one," he says, holding out a navy sheet with gold cursive lettering. 

"Me too," she says. "Do you think the gold is too much? I kinda liked it with the autumn theme, but now I'm not so sure..."

"I love it! It's just the right amount of pizazz," he answers, making her laugh. 

"I don't think I know anyone else who actually uses the word 'pizazz'."

He grins at her. "It's cause I'm so unique and smart. Only high-class persons like myself are allowed to use such fancy vocabulary as 'pizazz'." 

"Sure, sure," she laughs, rolling her eyes. "High class is exactly how I'd put it." 

The two continue to laugh and chat as they sort through the papers. Marinette shows him several of her different design options for the graphics, and Adrien is of no help whatsoever because he loves each design so much. All of a sudden, though, they hear something crash in the street below. Both rush to the window to see cars crunched together in the middle of the road. People flood the street. Is that- it looks like triplets, no, quadruplets all talking and yelling at each other next to one of the cars. Four more quadruplets hop out of the other car, shouting at the other set. 

"What's going on down there?" Mari asks.

"No idea," Adrien responds, worried.

A figure clad in green and grey struts down the street, cackling. Three others join her, their outfits in red and grey, blue and grey, and white and grey. "I am Divisé, bringer of nightmares and cleaver of souls!" The figures speak in unison, then draw guns of some sort and begin shooting at the people around them, who all morph into four versions of themselves.

"An akuma!" Adrien and Marinette jinx. "I have to go," they jinx again. They stare at one another awkwardly for a second before turning away.

"Uh, I just remembered I have fencing class," Adrien says, rushing out the door. "I'll come back later to help some more!"

"Don't worry about it, I forgot about my schedule too!" Mari calls after him, running up to her room.

\--------------------

Marinette slams her door behind her. "Tikki! Where are you?" she yells, searching around her room. 

Tikki flies out of Marinette's school bag. "What's wrong, Mari?" she asks, her voice full of worry.

"It's an akuma attack. I can't let Chat Noir fight another one on his own. What if he gets hurt? I have to figure out how to open the Miracle Box and help him fight." 

"Where is it?" Tikki asks.

"Here," Mari responds, dragging the box out from the hidden cupboard in her closet. "Can you open it? You're Ladybug, sorta."

"I can try," Tikki responds. "You have to figure out another way, though, because I may not always be around."

"Don't worry about that right now, just open the box." 

Tikki dives into the spotted Miracle Box, checking out the lock. It is not incredibly complicated, and the touch of her ladybug magic causes it to spring free. "Here!" she shouts. 

"Thank you, Tikki!" Mari cries, reaching for the mouse miraculous. In a flash, Mullo appears, and the necklace starts to glow. "Mullo, get squeaky!" 

The mouse spirals into the necklace, and the Multimouse suit spreads over Marinette's body. She leaps onto her balcony and tosses one end of her jumprope around the chimney. With a grunt, she swings down into the fray on the street.

Chat Noir vaults over a rooftop and lands next to her. "Mari- Multimouse? It's nice to see you again, but where's Milady?" (A/N: Remember Chat Noir sees Multimouse detransform into Marinette at the end of the Kwami Buster episode)

"She couldn't make it, Chaton," Multimouse responds. "I'm sorry, I know you've been wanting to see her again." 

"It's okay. At least I get to fight with you by my side," he says, grinning. "Now let's go kick some ass."

I hope you liked this chapter! Don't forget to watch for more updates (I try to do two a week) and leave kudos for this story if you enjoyed it :) Love you all and thank you for reading!


	8. Divisé

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Divisé attacks and Marinette must become Multimouse to help Chat Noir fight. Afterwards, she comforts him on the rooftops and asks him to the upcoming dance.

Multimouse leaps forward, whipping her jumprope towards the akuma. 

Divisé laughs and dodges easily, wagging her finger at the superhero. "Ah ah! That's not very nice, little mouse." She cartwheels away and jumps to her feet, tapping a civilian with her wand. "Split!" she yells. 

The civilian freezes in place and glows gold. Seconds later, the glow dissolves to reveal four of the civilian. One laughs and giggles, chasing a butterfly, one sobs uncontrollably, one immediately starts destroying a nearby car, and the last runs away screaming. "Oh, pure emotion! How beautiful," Divisé sighs, a tear welling up in her eye. She cackles again and runs at Chat Noir, who is herding civilians out of the area. "Kitty! You don't seem so happy to see me!" She swipes at him with her grey wand, a golden stone glowing at the tip. He spins to the side and her blow hits a wall, bouncing towards the crowd of civilians. A teenage boy is hit by the glow and falls to the ground. His eyes- pupils and all- turn a melancholy blue as he bursts into tears. 

Divisé glances over and grins at her work. Chat uses her distraction to his advantage and sweeps her feet out from under her. Multimouse lunges for Divisé's wand, but misses when Divisé knees her in the stomach. Multimouse rolls over and jumps back to her feet, shaking off the pain. Divisé bares her teeth and dives toward Multimouse, wand outstretched and glowing. Multimouse smacks the glow away with her jump rope and knocks Divisé down.

The glow bounces away and hits Chat Noir. Divisé sees and yells "Split!" 

Chat's eyes roll back into his head as the glow encompasses him. He feels himself being ripped apart and screams. When he opens his eyes again, three other versions of himself are beside him, each with different-color eyes. He giggles. "Look, my princess! There are three of me!" He claps and jumps onto a lamppost, swinging around it and singing. 

"Chat! Now is not the time for a musical number!" Multimouse shouts, struggling with Divisé. "Help me get the wand!"

Blue-eyed Chat looks at her, his lip trembling. "But...but I'm all split up, and Ladybug's not here, and...and..." he begins to wail, tears streaming down his face.

"What about you, then?" Multimouse points to white-eyed Chat. He curls up into a ball and runs away. "OOF!" Multimouse is thrown against a building by Divisé, who laughs. Green-eyed Chat laughs with her and continues dancing and singing. 

"HEY!" Someone punches Divisé in the nose, sending her flying away from Multimouse. Red-eyed Chat stands over Multimouse, fists raised. "Don't even THINK about touching my princess again!" he yells, leaping towards Divisé with his claws extended. "CATACLYSM!" 

Divisé tries to dodge, but it's too late. Chat tackles her to the ground, his cataclysm shattering her wand. A black butterfly flaps away, trying to make its escape, but Multimouse catches it first. When no one is looking, she calls for Tikki, who pops out from the bakery. "Help!" she whispers. Tikki nods once and runs her tiny arms over the butterfly, causing the darkness to leech away and revealing pure white wings underneath. "Thank you," Multimouse whispers, setting the butterfly free.

"No problem!" Tikki replies before flying back into the bakery. 

Red-eyed Chat still stands over Divisé as her villain outfit washes away. He blinks once, twice, and all the other Chats disappear. When he reopens his eyes, they are green again. "Here, let me help you," he says, offering his hand to the akuma victim. "Can you remember what happened?"

The girl allows him to help her to her feet. She groans softly, rubbing her head. "What's going on?"

"You were akumatized," Multimouse answers. "I hope you're feeling better now."

"Much, thanks," the girl responds. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Not permanently," Chat tells her. His ring begins to beep, and he glances guiltily at Multimouse. "I've gotta go. Can you take her home?"

"Of course." Multimouse scoops the young girl into her arms. "Hold on tight!" She lassoes her jumprope around a chimney and swings away. 

Chat runs into the bakery and hides in the bathroom. "Claws off." The suit melts away, and Plagg falls into his hands. 

"Cheese...I'm begging you..." Plagg gasps, one arm stretched into the air.

"Haha, quit being so dramatic. Here." Adrien hands the silly kwami a stinky piece of camembert and sneaks back out of the bakery. 

\------------------------

Multimouse detransforms inside her room, the mouse suit disappearing in the blink of an eye. "Thanks, Mullo," Marinette says, removing the necklace. Mullo bows and vanishes into the necklace as Mari carefully sets it in the Miracle Box. 

Fighting akumas always makes it seem like time flies by. The sun is setting over the skyline when Marinette heads downstairs to see her parents. 

"Marinette! Thank goodness you're safe!" Sabine rushes from behind the counter to hug her daughter. "We saw the akuma attack and couldn't find you or Adrien!"

"I'm sorry Mom. Multimouse and Chat Noir saw us on the roof and... uh... took us to safety!" she explains, crossing her fingers behind her back. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's all right, darling. We're just glad your safe," Tom says, wrapping his daughter and wife in a massive bear hug. "How about your mother and I close up the store and you take dinner up to your room? I know you'll have unfinished homework since you had to leave."

Rats. Homework. "You're right, I better go." She grabs a few croissants and disappears into the kitchen for a few minutes. After a second of rummaging in the fridge, she's found all her ingredients and puts together a few croissant sandwiches. Plate in hand, she trudges up the stairs, trying extra hard to keep her balance. 

Mari eats one of the sandwiches while sitting on the floor of her room. Three textbooks are spread out in front of her, and she flips the pages and takes notes with one hand while holding her croissant in the other. She jumps slightly when she hears a knock on her skylight. Chat's grinning face peeks through the window. 

Mari grabs the plate of food and carefully climbs the ladder to her balcony. "Hey, Chat," she says, handing him the food. "Have some dinner."

"Thanks, Princess," he replies as he takes a sandwich. "You were really helpful with the akuma today. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're welcome, Chaton. Besides, if Ladybug offers me a Miraculous, I'm going to try my hardest to earn it."

"So she came to see you, huh," Chat says, staring at her.

"Uh, kinda," Mari replies. The look on his face makes her heart shatter into a million pieces. It's so full of sadness, hope, love, and jealousy all at the same time. "She just left it for me up here with a note and knocked before swinging away." 

"I wish she'd leave me notes." He takes a bite of his sandwich and gazes off into the distance. 

"I'm sorry. I know she's not just ignoring you. There has to be something else going on. After all, no one's really seen her for a while now." 

"Yeah, I know. That's part of what worries me. What if she's in trouble? What if she needs me and I'm not there to help?" He rubs the back of his head and sighs. "I didn't mean to bug you, Mari. I probably should've let you rest after that fight, but I didn't want to be alone tonight." 

"It's okay, Chaton. I'm always here if you need me." She wraps an arm around his shoulders, and he stiffens, surprised at her touch. She pulls him into a hug and gently squeezes his torso. "I know she hasn't forgotten you."

Chat relaxes and wraps his arms around her waist, burying his face in her shoulder. "Thanks," he mumbles, hot tears seeping out of his eyes and onto her shirt. "I'm tired of being so strong all the time. I'm tried of fighting alone."

Mari says nothing; she just hugs him tighter. "It's okay to feel that way. Remember, you're not alone. All of Paris is behind you, and I'm right beside you. Please remember how many people care about you. Ladybug isn't the only one who fights alongside you."

Chat blinks away his tears and lets her words wash over him.

You are not alone.

We care about you. 

I care about you.

Eventually, Chat lets Mari go, arching his back and leaning against the railing once again. "Thank you," he murmurs. "You always know exactly what to say."

"They're not just words, they're true." She hands him another sandwich, and they stare at the city lights for a few moments in silence. "Hey, Chat, what would you think about going somewhere with me?"

"What do you mean?" His ears perk up and he turns to look at her.

"See, there's this dance thing my best friend is planning for our high school. My boyfriend graduated this past spring, so he's too old to go. Would you come with me? Y'know, as friends?" 

"Everyone would recognize me."

"Actually, that's the thing. It's a masquerade. You could wear your mask and everyone would think you're just in costume like the rest of the students. What do you think?"

Chat's ears turn pink and he feels his face heat up. "That... that sounds really great. I'd love to see you there, princess."

"I'll make you a mask to match mine, then." Mari smiles at him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. 

He grins back, a lopsided grin perfect for the alley cat he is. "Good night, Mari, my princess," he says, bowing.

"Good night, my Chaton." 

She blinks, and he's gone.

\---------------------------

Hello my lovelies! I have some MAJOR angst coming up in the next chapter, so I'm trying to keep things fun and light while I can. I hope you had a fun time reading! If you enjoyed it, please drop a comment and leave kudos :) I love hearing from you ♥️


	9. Luka Knows WHAT?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wakes up from a nightmare and has a panic attack. Luka keeps her company, and they discover a startling secret.

Hey y'all so I just watched a bunch of Miraculous animatics on YouTube and I'm drowning in feels writing this but anyway 

\------------------------------

A swirling storm of lights, shadows, and blood...something is very wrong... Mari can't see, but she can feel everything around her: the grit on her face, the blood dripping down her arm, the exhaustion in her limbs. She hears whimpering, someone is crying nearby. Then she feels him, his breath hot against her neck, a sob trapped in his throat. His lips brush her ear, and he whispers, "You said you'd be there. You promised! But you weren't, and now it's too late." A pair of purple eyes flash against a tear-stained face.

Marinette wakes with a start, sweat trickling down her forehead. "Tikki?" she croaks out, her voice hoarse. Dried tears cling to her skin, and she can't get those purple eyes out of her mind. "Tikki, where are you?" 

"I'm right here, Marinette, what's wrong?" Tikki zips up from the other end of the bed and hovers right in front of Mari's face, her expression full of worry. "Are you okay?"

"I...I don't know," Mari says, choking back a sob. She reaches for her phone and scrolls through her contacts. I wish I could talk to Chat. She misses going on patrol with him every night. It always set her mind at ease. She needs to get her Miraculous back as soon as possible. In the meantime, she clicks on Alya's number, but it goes to voicemail. She scrolls further and finds Luka. 

"Marinette?" His voice is husky, and it's clear he's just woken up. "Is something wrong? It's three a.m." 

"Yeah, Luka, I... I need to see you. Soon." Mari's words catch, and she hiccups against her tears. Nightmares don't usually leave her this shaken. 

"I'm on my way." 

Marinette bundles herself into a quilt and sits on the balcony, looking out over all of Paris. It feels so different when most of the lights were out, when Chat wasn't looking with her. 

Her phone rings, and she picks it up immediately.

"I'm here. Come down to the bakery." 

Mari pads down the stairs in her bare feet and opens the bakery door as quietly as she can. Luka's waiting for her, his brows furrowed and eyes wide. He's wearing pajamas, soft baggy pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. When he sees her, he wordlessly pulls out a sweatshirt and helps her into it. "What's wrong?"

A million things flash through Marinette's mind: her lost Miraculous, leaving Chat alone for missions, trying to stop Papillon, exposing Lila, her nightmares...a single tear streams down her cheek, and she shakes her head. Luka nods and helps her onto his bike, making sure she's comfortable before pedaling off down the street.

Marinette hugs him tightly, burying her face in his t-shirt. He smells so good, like light and music and love. She rests her head against his shoulder blades and lets herself cry as he takes them towards his grandmother's garden. 

They skid to a stop next to the big wooden door. Luka hops off the bike first, then turns around to scoop Marinette up. He carries her bridal style through the doorway and into the garden. 

She's vaguely aware of being laid on the grass, and her mind snaps to attention when Luka lays down next to her, his arm supporting her head. "Thank you," she whispers, head pounding. Luka doesn't reply, he just pulls her close and wraps her up in a blanket. 

The two watch the stars for several minutes as Marinette's raging storm of a headache slows down to a light drizzle. She breathes deeply, taking in the cool night air and the warmth of the boy beside her. "I'm ready to talk now," she murmurs.

"Okay, but we can stop if you get tired," he replies, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

"I had a nightmare. Everyone...everyone was dying, and I couldn't s-see anything." She closes her eyes, pushing back the sound of her friends wailing and the smell of blood in the air. 

"I'm sorry," Luka says. He kisses her forehead. "At least it was only a dream."

"It felt so real," she answers, her voice small. "And he was there."

"Who?"

"Chat Noir, but he wasn't himself." She's starting to drift off again, her thoughts taking over as she leaves her body behind. Is this what a panic attack is like? 

"Chat Noir? I mean, I know you see him a lot as Ladybug, but I thought you were taking a break from that stuff."

"No, I just lost... wait, what?" Suddenly Marinette's head is crystal clear, and she sits up on her elbows, turning to look at Luka. "What did you say?"

"I said I thought you were taking a break from the hero stuff," he replies, confused. 

"How.... how did you know? How long have you known?" 

"About what?" His eyes search her face, surprised by this sudden turn in behavior.

"About me being Ladybug! How did you know?" 

"Marinette, I knew it the moment I met her... you. No one else is so selfless, so kind, so caring. Who else could she be? I thought you knew. I even wrote her into your song." 

Marinette sits back. He knows?? No one had ever figured it out before. How was he being so calm about this? Didn't he realize what he'd just said? "And you didn't think to mention this?"

"Why should I? It's you I fell in love with, Mari. It's always been you. I thought you realized that I figured it out, so I didn't say anything. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just... wow." She pushes her hair back and takes a deep breath. "You're in so much danger, Luka. Papillon will stop at nothing to find me, to steal my Miraculous, and now there's a chance he'll find you, and hurt you, too." She can see it now: Luka, akumatized, telling Papillon everything, or worse, Luka, bruised and bleeding, Papillon beating the secret out of him. "Oh no, oh no..." she whimpers, tucking her head between her knees. 

"Marinette, I'm so sorry, I didn't think it was this big of a deal. It'll be all right, okay? I'm taking mental health classes, so I should be able to stop any negative thoughts before I get akumatized, and I can take care of myself. I won't tell anyone, I swear it, no matter what happens. It's okay, Mari, it's okay," he whispers, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so, so sorry." 

She cries into his shoulder for a second, then wipes away her tears. "It's not your fault. I just... I just don't want you to get hurt." 

"I won't be, Marinette. Trust me." His eyes are so deep, so blue, so full of warmth she can feel herself melting. 

"Okay. I trust you." She draws in one more gasping breath. 

"Now what's this about you losing your Miraculous?" Luka asks. 

"It happened during an akuma attack the other day. I switched bodies with Lila Rossi..." Marinette tell him everything, including every detail she can remember. "And I can only access the Miracle Box with Tikki, so sometimes I can't even help Chat out as Multimouse," she finishes.

Luka sits quietly through her whole story, and at the end, he says, "Wow. That's... a lot. I definitely understand why you had a panic attack." He closes his eyes to think for a moment. "I can't help you get your Miraculous back, unfortunately. Papillon knows I'm Viperion, so I can't ever use Sass again. Maybe, though, I can help you figure out how to keep your memories." 

Marinette smiles a little, her lips quirking up slightly. "That would help."

"For now, why don't you keep a diary? I mean, I know you have your sketchbook and the diary that you write in like once a week, but I mean a real, carry-it-with-you-everywhere journal. Write down everything that happens to you, especially major events, in as much detail as you can. That way, if we can't figure out a way for you to keep your memories, you'll be able to read about them anyway." Luka takes her hand in his and rubs his thumb over hers. "I don't want you to forget me, Marinette. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." 

"Are you sure you don't mean Ladybug?" she teases.

His face grows serious, and he clasps her hand tighter. "No. I mean you, Mari. I love all of you, not just Ladybug. You are her, and she is you, but you are so much more." 

She feels her face grow hot under his gaze. "Thank you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, too." She kisses him lightly and lays back down on the grass. "I don't know what to do," she whispers. "Chat's starting to think I hate him. He needs me, Luka. Both sides of me. I think... I'm starting to think Ladybug was his best friend, I mean, that I was his best friend. It's really hurt him, my disappearance. I want him to have his lady back."

Luka smiles up at the stars. "Everyone needs some Marinette in their life, and Chat's no exception. He's your partner. Of course he's going to miss you. All the more reason to get your miraculous back."

"If only I knew how." She turns to him. "I invited him to come to the masquerade dance with me. Marinette me. As a friend. I think he needs more friends. I get the idea that his family's not so great." She closes her eyes for a moment, picturing the pain on his face when he talks about his mom. When she opens them again, she stares up through the branches of the tree above her, searching for the stars. As she looks, she notices something odd: a glint of something shiny tucked into a hole in the tree trunk. "Luka? What's that?" she asks, pointing.

"Mmm?" He rolls over and follows her finger. "That's odd. I've never seen it before." 

Marinette stands unsteadily, swaying. Luka gets up after her. "I wanna check it out. It seems familiar, somehow." She walks over to the tree trunk and pulls herself onto a low branch. Her fingers brush over Luka's grandmother's initials. The carving is faded with age, but she notices something about it this time: the initials aren't inside a circle. They're inside a yin and yang. Not any yin and yang either, though: one with the Ladybug and Chat Noir symbols for the smaller circles. "Luka, what is this?" she breathes.

"It's my grandmother's initials, like I told-- oh." He pauses halfway up to the branch, eyes wide. "How did I not notice that?"

"So you see it too?"

"The Ladybug and Chat Noir? Yeah. Yeah, I do." Luka traces his fingers over the carving, lingering on the Ladybug symbol. "How could she know about the Miraculous? She carved that fifty years ago."

"I don't know, but I plan to find out." Marinette hoists herself higher, reaching for the next branch, and the next, until she reaches the hole in the tree trunk. A silver box is wedged inside, the edge barely poking out. Mari wiggles it around until it comes free and yanks it out of the tree. She loses her balance and almost falls, but Luka catches her shoulder and helps her sit back up.

"What could that be? How did we miss it before?" Luka asks, pulling himself up next to her."

"I know I, at least, was pretty distracted," Mari replies, giving him a mischievous smile. He grins right back.

Mari feels around the edges of the box, her fingers tracing up and down it grooves until she finds the edge of the lid. "Here!" With a pop, the lid springs free, and Marinette sets it aside.

Dark fabric the color of midnight obscures the contents of the box. Mari moves to take it out, but hesitates. She hands the box to Luka. "She was your grandmother, you get to open it." 

"If you want." He can tell she wants to open it too. "Let's do it together, on three." They rest their hands on the fabric, one on top of the other. "Ready? One...two...three!" The fabric is yanked aside, and both teens gasp.

Sitting inside the box is a journal, weathered and clearly old. That isn't the surprising part, though. The surprising part is the Ladybug symbol etched into the cover, and the drawing of Tikki beside it. 

\----------------------------

I hope you enjoyed it! Leave me a comment or kudos if you did :)


	10. Dresses and Suits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari prepares for the dance with her friends.

I'm back!! Hiatus is (for now) over, since I've finally gotten used to being in school again. Updating will be less frequent during the school year but I hope to add a chapter a week, if not more.

.......................

Mari's breath catches as she opens the journal. Luka lays his hand on top of hers, covering the page. "Wait," he says. "I think you should do this on your own. If I'm around, I'll be too tempted to read it myself, and I don't think I should know all the secrets about the Miraculous. You'll tell me if I need to know something, right?" he asks, glancing up into Mari's eyes.

Marinette smiles at him. "Of course I will. And you're right- I can't let you know all the secrets. I'm sorry, but I do have to do this on my own." She closes the book and hugs it to her chest. "Thank you for calming me down," she whispers. "Thanks for being here for me."

Luka squeezes her hand. "I'll always be here when you need me. Let me help you down, I know you want to go home and read that as soon as possible."

"It's okay," she murmurs. "I do want to read it, and it is important, but life can wait for a few minutes longer. I want to be here, with you."

"Then we can stay." He lets her lean against him and shifts so they can both look out over the dark city, leaves dancing all around them in the breeze.

\---------------------------

Mari meets Alya in the bakery before school the next morning. 

Alya jumps up from her seat at the sight of her. "Girl, I'm so sorry I missed your call last night! Is everything okay? It's not like you to call that late," she exclaims, eyebrows furrowed.

Marinette hugs her. "I'm okay now, I was just freaking out a little after a nightmare."

"That's rough. I wasn't awake, or I would have picked up." 

"I know, it's okay," Mari says.

"So did you get to talk to anyone about it?"

"Yeah, actually." Marinette slides her bag over her shoulder and opens the door, letting Alya through first. 

"Who?" Alya asks.

"Luka," she replies, her cheeks turning a pale pink.

"He answered you at three a.m.? That boy is dedicated. What did he say?"

"He just took me out to stargaze and calm down."

"Kid's got game, I'll give him that." Alya whistles softly and scuffs her feet along the sidewalk as they head towards school. "Hey, I know you moved on and all, but you never really told me. What happened with Adrien? What made you like Luka instead?"

Marinette slows a bit as she thinks. "It wasn't a choice, at least, I don't remember choosing. It was more a slow realization. Adrien never showed any interest in me, and while I do think he's a great guy, I think we need to be friends first. That's what's important to me. And then Luka came along, and he's so sweet, even when we were just friends, and he showed me what a romantic relationship could be like. I'll always have a soft spot for Adrien, but for right now, Luka's the one I like. It's nice to have someone who cares about you the same way you care about them." 

"That makes a lot of sense. Nino and I were friends first, and I think that's part of what makes us such a good couple." She's silent for a moment. "I'm glad you're happier now. You seem to be more confident, too. You and Adrien can get to know each other without feelings getting in the way." 

"Exactly." Mari smiles at her best friend. "How are things going with the Ladyblog lately?"

"It's kinda weird, actually. I'm not sure if you noticed, cause you've been busy, but Ladybug hasn't been showing up much. Chat Noir's given me an interview once or twice over the past few weeks. Ladybug, though, seems to have disappeared." 

"Oh, that's frustrating," Mari says, mentally kicking herself. She should've realized that Alya would know something's up. "Uh, how about that dance you're planning? Did you get a date set?"

"Yep! Three Fridays from now, the night before Hallowe'en. I'd like it if you can get those flyers done as soon as possible so everyone can set their calendars. Nino's writing some new songs and making a playlist. He showed me part of it and it's fantastic. He's also open to suggestions..." Alya rambles on, telling Marinette about everything she's planned. By the time they reach their classroom, she's wrapping up. "...and maybe you and I can make some matching dresses, cause I have a really great color scheme idea that would look good on both of us." 

"That sounds like so much fun!" Marinette answers. "We can design them together after school, if you want." 

"Sure!" Alya slides into her chair and leans forward, poking Nino on the back of the head to get his attention. "Hey, Nino--" she says, and suddenly they're caught up in a conversation about matching his playlist to the theme of the dance. 

Marinette sits back and pulls her tablet and a pad of paper from her bag. She arranges them carefully on the desk in front of her, along with a stylus and pencil. While she waits for Ms. Bustier to start class, she doodles, sketching a rough outline of a dress for the dance. The dress is strapless with a sweetheart neckline, full skirt, and layers of fabric. She adds in details, getting lost in her own little world until a voice interrupts her.

"That's really pretty, Marinette." A shadow falls over the page.

Mari looks up to see Adrien smiling down at her drawing. "Oh, hey," she says, turning a bit red. "Thanks." 

"What's it for?"

"Uh, Alya and I might wear matching dresses to the Autumn Dance, so I'm designing them." She turns the pad of paper around so he can see better. 

"I'm sure you'll both look fantastic," he says.

Mari isn't sure what to say to that, so she smiles and pulls the paper back towards herself. Luckily, she is saved by Ms. Bustier striding to the front of the class and calling for the students' attention. 

"Students, I have an announcement! I was just informed that our autumn dance is scheduled for the Friday before Hallowe'en! Mark it on your calendars, people, because I hope to see you there. The theme is masquerade, and if you have any questions, you should direct them to Miss Cesaire or myself after class. Now, on to our work..." she says. 

\----------------

Marinette walks home quickly after school, eager to read the journal. She barely talks to anyone on her way out, just briefly saying bye to Alya and Nino. Her thoughts are working up a whirlwind in her brain. What connection could Luka's grandmother have to Ladybug? How does she know Tikki? Marinette hasn't talked to Tikki about it yet because the little kwami has spent the day with the Miraculous. She couldn't be away from it for too long. 

"Marinette! Wait up!" Alya calls after Marinette and chases her down. "Weren't we going to design our dresses?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Marinette answers, mentally kicking herself for forgetting. "Sure." 

"Great! I invited Nino along, cause he's gonna be my date, so he needs to match. Oh, and he invited Adrien, cause he doesn't want to listen to us talk about dresses by himself." Alya gestures back up the path towards the two boys, who are talking animatedly as they walk. 

"That's...fine. We can just all work on them, I guess," Marinette says. She opens the door to the bakery, letting Alya walk in ahead of her. Adrien races to catch up so he can hold to door for Marinette. 

"Can't let a lady hold the door for me," he says, winking with his bright green eyes.

Mari freezes for a second, struck with an odd sense of familiarity. He looks almost like Chat Noir, when he winks like that, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. She shakes her head and walks in ahead of him, trying to clear her head. 

"Mari, I'll get out your fabric samples!" Alya calls down from upstairs. 

Marinette climbs the ladder after her and starts gathering threads and notebooks from around the room. "Uh, so I was thinking, because of it being a masquerade and all, we could be animals? If we're going with the autumn theme, I think you'd be a great fox, Alya." Mari knew, of course, how amazing Alya looked in the Rena Rouge fox costume, so she thought she could draw inspiration from that. No one else could know, though, that she'd been the one to give Alya the Miraculous. 

"Aw, that sounds so cute!" Alya gushes, pulling up a chair beside Mari. "What animal would you be?" 

"I'm not sure yet. I want to stick with the fall theme. Maybe a mouse in silver? Or a ladybug in red?" Once she started thinking about it, Mari decided it would be fun to base both of their dresses off of Miraculous. It would keep the theme going.

Nino pops his head up through the trap door. "So, what we got, Mari?" 

"Um, a fox, and maybe a mouse. Or a, um, ladybug." She turns back to her sketches and lays them out on the table for Alya to see.

....................................

"You'd be a great mouse," Adrien says. He can't let her know, of course, that he knows she'd look cute as a mouse because he's seen her as a mouse. "If, y'know, that's what you wanna do." He kinda likes the idea of showing up as Chat Noir and having her costume match his. 

"If you're a fox, Alya, what can I be?" Nino asks. 

Alya turns and grins at him mischievously. "A turtle. The colors would go nicely together." The two share some sort of secret smile that Adrien doesn't understand. What matches about a fox and a turtle?

"So, uh, a fox, a turtle, and a mouse. Any other suggestions? What about you, Adrien?" Mari asks, scribbling down notes. 

"I'm not sure I can even go to the dance," he confesses.

"What? No! Can't you tell your father that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event? You only have one senior year, bro, and you don't want to miss out on anything!" Nino pleads. 

"I'll see what I can do. You guys can come up with a costume for me, if you want." Adrien's too scared to suggest being a black cat. Someone could put two and two together and recognize him. 

"What about a peacock?" Mari says. "It's kinda random, but the colors would look really good on you. I was researching your dad's company a while back for some designs I'm working on, and I found this really pretty photo of your mom modeling a peacock dress. Since you guys are so similar, I bet you'd look great in something similar." She rolls her chair over to the computer and pulls up an old snapshot of his mother, her back to the camera, in a glamorous green-blue gown with silver accents. "I thought it was interesting because I usually see peacocks with gold, but the silver looked really cool." She turns back to her sketchbook and begins working on a new design.

Adrien stares at the photo, his fingers brushing the screen ever so slightly. It's been a long time since he's gone through her modeling photos, and he doesn't remember seeing this one before. It's beautiful, the evening starlight catching her eyes perfectly as she glances back over her shoulder. The makeup she has on is very dramatic; he almost doesn't recognize her. 

Seeing the photo brings a flood of emotions he's shoved down for months. Pain. Heartache. Anger at the world. Amidst it all, a single question echoes through his mind: Why? Why did she have to leave him? Why did she have to get so sick? Why didn't he get to say goodbye?

He turns away, unable to look at the photo any longer.

...........................

Mari holds up four pages side by side. "Okay, I think this is it." Nino's suit is on the far left, a dark green shade with a long tailcoat and a burnt orangeish-red tie. "The tie matches Alya's dress," Marinette points out, shuffling the papers so Alya is next to Nino. "Alya, I'm thinking dramatic, with a wide skirt and slight high-low for some movement. Your masks are the same shape, see? Oh, and I think I can make a little headband for you with fox ears. It'll look great."

"Mari, this is perfect!" Alya exclaims, gushing over the drawing. "I can't wait to see it!"

"Sick jacket, dude," Nino says, taking his design from Mari. 

"What about yours and mine?" Adrien asks, eager to see her ideas.

Marinette sets them next to each other on the table. "I went with the mouse so I could use silver fabric. I've never really worked with the color before, and I thought it would be fun. I think I'm going to do an a-line skirt with lots of layers, so it'll twirl nicely. You've got a tailcoat like Nino's so you'll match." She points out details and adds layers of color as she talks. 

"It's so cool to have a fashion designer for a best friend," Alya sighs, gazing dreamily at the designs. 

Mari laughs. "It's so cool to have such great models," she answers, poking Alya's side. 

Nino glances down at his watch. "Hate to break this up, ladies, but Alya and I have to go. We're supposed to babysit your sisters in twenty minutes, babe." 

"That's right! I completely forgot!" Alya rushes to stand and pulls Nino to the door. "Thanks again Mari! See you later!"

"I guess I'd better go too," Adrien says, heading to the door. "Can't wait to see the outfits!"

Marinette waits until the door closes behind him to walk over to her bed and pull out the journal. "Now," she says, "the real work begins." 

What did you think? I hope you like it! I'm so excited about where this story is headed :) If you enjoyed it, please drop a comment and kudos! What was your favorite part?


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